November 07, 2014
Pukana wrong look for tourism
The chief executive of the Maori Tourism Association says Maori are showing a friendlier face to the world.
Pania Tyson-Nathan has questioned some of the violent imagery that has been used to market New Zealand to the world.
She says that is paying off, and Maori operators are reporting that softer images are leading to more bookings.
She says images of pukana or mau rakau with no context are nothing more than a gimmick and plays into a stereotype of Maori being mad, bad or sad.
"This comes down to who we are trying to attract, and why would you put the face of a fierce warrior on the front of your brochure? I don’t know what it is about that image that people think says ‘welcome, we want to engage with you.’" Ms Tyson-Nathan says .
Maori tourism is changing as many tourists indicate they want to sit down and engage with Maori history.
FOR THE FULL INTERVIEW WITH PANIA TYSON – NATHAN CLICK ON THE LINK
https://secure.zeald.com/uma/play_podcast?podlink=MjM4MzM=
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