The directors and executives of the New Zealand Tourism Export Council will meet local industry and civic leaders and sample some of the area’s key attractions during a two-day stay in Whakatāne in May next year.
The Council’s monthly board meeting will be held at the Mataatua Te Mānuka Tutahi Marae on 29 and 30 May, with the programme of activities including informal discussions with tourism operators and a helicopter trip to White Island.
The visit has been organised by local businesswoman Lesley Immink, who has been the chief executive of the Wellington-based Tourism Export Council since mid-2011. A strong advocate for the area, Ms Immink says she was “pleasantly surprised” when her suggestion that the board meeting be held in Whakatāne, rather than a major city or tourism destination, was enthusiastically adopted.
“It could be that board members recognise that they need to learn more about the growing value that regional New Zealand represents to the tourism industry, but I think they really just want to confirm that Whakatāne is as good as I keep telling them,” she says. “Given my constant assurances that it’s the sunniest spot in that country, it better be fine!”
Mayor Tony Bonne was quick to support the initiative and confirm that the Whakatāne District Council would host an evening function and a ‘meet-and-greet’ opportunity for local operators. “This is a fantastic opportunity for Whakatāne to showcase itself and convince some key tourism influencers to put us on their list of must-visit destinations,” he says. “We don’t just have the best weather, but the best beach, the best single natural attraction in White Island, Te Urewera’s magnificent wilderness scenery and an array of other attractions.”
The Tourism Export Council (formerly known as the Inbound Tour Operators Council) represents some 1,300 key tourism operators who are jointly responsible for between 60 and 70 percent of all international visitor arrivals in New Zealand.
“You could compare the Council to any of the big agricultural export producers in that we develop and package our products in New Zealand and sell them offshore to foreign buyers,” Ms Immink explains. “But, the buyers then come to New Zealand to experience and enjoy those products.”
The Tourism Export Council works closely with Tourism New Zealand (the country’s publicly-funded, international marketing organisation) and the Tourism Industry Association (which represents private sector interests via advocacy and Government lobbying, but does not promote New Zealand offshore, or buy or sell tourism products).