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FOR EXAMPLE, ROTORUA Canopy Tours, the New Zealand Tourism Awards Supreme winner for 2016, has only been operating four years, but delivers an exceptional visitor experience combined with a commitment to improving the environment in which it operates.
Another Awards winner is Waitangi Treaty Grounds. It has transformed itself in the past four years and achieved financial and visitor growth beyond expectations. “It displays a newfound pride in its rich Maori culture and is vital to the economic wellbeing of the local community,” says TIA’s Chris Roberts.
Another stand-out performer contributing generously to its local community is Matamata’s Hobbiton Movie Set & Farm Tours.
The winner of numerous tourism awards, Hobbiton hosted 468,000 visitors for the year to March 31, 2016 – a 25 percent increase on 2015. General manager and unofficial 'lord of the Shire’, Russell Alexander, says on a busy day they’ll have 3000 people through. The business operates seven days a week and staff numbers peak at 230.
Alexander, who has an extensive farming background, says although the destination is connected to Wellington’s film industry, the brand now has a life well beyond the movies. In fact, many visitors have never seen the movies.
His formula for growing the business is to introduce something new every year. “To be innovative and the best we can be.”
Planned for 2017 are a new shop, kitchen, toilet-block and wash-room to cater for increasing visitor numbers; “and perhaps some new offices and training facilities”.
“The most exciting thing about Hobbiton is that every day there are new challenges and experiences, and decisions to be made,” says Alexander.
He believes the biggest challenge has been growth management. His advice is to employ people earlier rather than later and keep on empowering young people.
“They can make you better and look even better.”
NORTHERN HIGHLIGHTS
Northland has its share of high performing tourist businesses. Many have been around for a long time.
Dive! Tutukaka is one such business. Founded in 1999 by diving buddies Aussie Malcolm and Jeroen Jongejans, the vision then was to be the best dive operator in New Zealand.
Jongejans says that still holds true today, although nowadays a third of their business covers non-diving activities such as kayaking, snorkelling and eco-trips – exploring the “big, dramatic stories” associated with the coastline.
Jongejans has lived on the Tutukaka Coast, running dive operations, for almost 30 years. Sinking the HMNZS Tui and Waikato just off the coast was his idea, and wreck divers have been thanking him ever since.
He is a committed lobbyist for World Heritage Status for the Poor Knights and an advocate for Marine Reserves and National Parks around New Zealand. His big goal to encourage future tourism is setting up a Marine Park off Tutukaka, allowing a significant part for recreational fishing only and about ten percent in ‘no take’ areas.
“We’ve got to get smart with marketing our marine environment. Imagine being able to catch two kahawhai and cook them locally. It’s about selling a point of difference."
Jongejans is part of the driving force behind the proposed Hundertwasser & Wairau Maori Art Centre in Whangarei – still requiring funding but, when completed in 2019, tipped to be a tourist attraction on a par with Kawakawa’s famous Hundertwasser public toilet.
He’s seeing sustained growth in Northland’s tourism market and believes the subtropical climate and proximity to Auckland are the major drawcards – not to mention the outstanding attractions.
More Americans are making the trip downunder, he says, encouraged by improved airline connections, and Dive! Tutukaka has been making significant investments to cater for the increased numbers – including an experimental electrically-driven boat and offering more ‘live aboard experiences’.
Looking back, there’ve been many highlights over the years. But nothing pleases Jongejans more than seeing the smiles on people’s faces as they step off his boats.
“Our products offer far more than just entertainment value – it’s about delivering positive experiences and major environmental insights,” he says.
“And thanks to Facebook and social media, that message gets spread around the world. Every picture paints a thousand words.”