June 18, 2024
Tourism reset fuels new experiences
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Māori tourism operators and many of their international Indigenous counterparts have gathered in Taupo for the first New Zealand Māori Tourism hui since 2018.
Chair Dale Stephens says it’s great to reconnect after struggling through the Covid shut-down and then trying to rebuild businesses.
He says what’s changed is a greater appetite from visitors for interactive and genuine cultural experiences.
“Tourists nowadays – to leave home and go to foreign countries – they don’t just want to be entertained. They want to be immersed. They want to understand. And the more they understand of the local indigenous culture, the more of a holistic feel they get for the country and the more of an affinity they develop,” Mr Stephens says.
He saysenviro-cultural tourism is booming in the regions, and his organisation is keen to help smaller operators navigate government support and funding.