CongratulationsTo Ngāti Whātua Ōrakei Whai Maia Limited, who won $25,000 in Auckland Airport's tourism competition. This prize will see Ngāti Whātua Ōrakei develop and deliver a multitude of cultural tourism products from their home in central Auckland. Read more here.
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Iconic Rotorua building to become up-market hostel
Rotorua's Ngati Whakaue iwi have formed a partnership with an Australian based company which will see one of the city's oldest and most iconic buildings - the Lakehouse Hotel - transformed into a 250-bed upmaket spa hostel. The agreement between Ngati-Whakaue's trading arm - Pukeroa Oruawhata - and The Friendly Group, which operates hostels around Australia, Asia and the US, will see the Maori trust retain ownership of the land it took over in 2007 while the new complex will be operated as a joint venture under the Greenhouse brand.
Read more here.
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Facebook is best way for travel firms to interact with consumersAlthough OTAs ranked higher than hotels when it came to "influence of interaction on satisfaction with a brand" as well as "using/buying the brand", the hotel sector came on top when consumers were asked which organisations they trust. Facebook is by far the most productive social media network for travel firms, according to a new report. BDRC Continental's Social Media Impact "Freemium Report" indicated that the social network generates almost four times the amount of travel-firm related interactions than Twitter. Read more here.
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Tourism New Zealand claims top honours at US awardsTourism New Zealand has been named “Tourism Board of the Year 2015” and “Most Engaged Tourism Board globally”, by US luxury travel network Virtuoso. Read more here.
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Local tourism operators call for 'authentic' Indigenous experienceThe Indigenous tourism sector is hoping to capitalise on increasing numbers of international visitors to Australia that has earned the country more than $6 billion over the past year. Aboriginal tourist agencies said they wanted overseas travellers to Australia to know about an "authentic Indigenous experience". Visitors to Australia sat at a 12-month high mid year with tourists from China forming the fastest growing inbound tourist market, Read more here.
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Waitara's kai cooker king makes waves across the ditchDemand across Australia for a Waitara-made kai cooker has left customers waiting weeks for their hangi fix. But it's a problem John Tipene - the brains behind the unique design - has no issue with. "It's a nice headache to have," he said.
Read more here.
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