Themed as ‘Tātou Tātou, all of us together’, Love Taupō General Manager Patrick Dault said the full-day programme was about “tourism industry interconnectivity because everyone who sells Taupō, sells the same destination. The visitor experience is much stronger when the whole industry knows each other's stories.”
The summit kicked off with a Mihi Whakatau, a video message from Minister for Tourism and Hospitality, MP for Taupō Hon. Louise Upston, and a welcome from Taupō District Mayor John Funnell.
Keynote sessions featured a national update from Sam Allen, Global Manager, Industry & Product Marketing at Tourism New Zealand; Iain Walker, General Manager – Regional at Air New Zealand, on supporting regional New Zealand; Michelle Noordermeer, Group General Manager – Aeronautical Growth & Marketing at Hamilton Airport, on building routes and regional growth; and Hospitality New Zealand Chief Executive Kristy Phillips on manaakitanga in motion.
A series of concurrent workshops included TripAdvisor’s Katie McDougall and Lauren Whicker talking to the modern traveller; a panel on AI for tourism; Chang Chen of Yoreka on the Chinese inbound market; Paul Button of Rotorua Canopy Tours on sustainability as a competitive advantage; Love Taupō's Noora Tuikkanen and Shona Cobham on social media and destination storytelling.
Dault says the turnout reflects an industry increasingly thinking of itself as a single visitor economy. "Around 180 people gave up a working day to be in this room. That tells you where our industry's head is at. Attractions, accommodation, hospitality, retail, frontline staff — we all sell the same destination. Tātou tātou isn't a nice sentiment on a banner, it's the business model."
In amongst the seasoned tourism professionals, the youngest delegate was 18-year-old Harrison Pool, head boy at Tauhara College, who will begin a B.A. in global tourism, event management & hospitality at AUT next year. As an aspiring next generation tourism industry professional, Harrison said he was excited to be present. “My eyes have really opened into the tourism industry today. I didn’t realise how many different opportunities there are in tourism. Right now my major is event management, but that could all change.”
Dault says involving students is a deliberate move. "Tourism and hospitality are two of the biggest employers in this district, and most of our future workforce is sitting in a classroom 10 minutes from this venue. If a student leaves today knowing there's a career here — not just a summer job — that's worth as much to us as any campaign."
The Regional Food Showcase, running over morning tea and lunch, involved 10 local hospitality businesses serving signature tastings to delegates: Baked with Love, Bistro Lago, Bombay Bistro, Cafe Lacus, Chengdu Kitchen, Dough Bros Pizzas and More, Jimmy Coops Lakehouse, Suncourt Indian, The Cozy Corner and L'Arte Cafe and Gallery. Rather than a traditional catered meal, the showcase offered a destination experience, giving delegates the chance to meet the people behind local businesses and build the confidence to recommend them to visitors.
The Hui a Tāpoi Operator Marketplace gave tourism businesses a chance to show off their products which will also feature in the newly launched Te Wiki o Ako, Love Taupō's famil week for local front-desk staff and running next week.
"The measure of today isn't the room," Dault says. "It's what happens next week, when someone recommends a restaurant they tried here, or takes a call from an operator they met at their table. That's what we mean by altogether, better."
The full programme is available here.
QUOTES FROM KEYNOTE SPEAKERS
Kristy Phillips, CEO — Hospitality New Zealand:
“It's always energising to spend time with the tourism and hospitality community around the country, and wonderful to see the motivation and drive from operators in Taupō. Great conversations about what's ahead for the region, the connectivity opportunities, and a reminder of how much talent and dedication drives this industry across the motu.”
Michelle Noordermeer, CE - Hamilton Airport:
“It’s been fantastic to be in Taupō today and see so much energy around growing tourism across the Central North Island. Hamilton Airport is already playing a role in bringing international visitors into the region, and there’s a real opportunity to build on that by making the gateway a more visible part of how people plan and book their journeys. The more we work together to grow demand, the stronger the opportunity becomes for more services and, over time, new routes.”
View more images of the event here.
