RTOs are acknowledged and respected as the key regional agencies responsible for fostering and promoting regional tourism development.
Welcoming, supportive communities are a vital part of what New Zealand has to offer our visitors, be they international guests, or Kiwis discovering their own place. To ensure New Zealanders continue to offer manaakitanga to our visitors, it is essential that our destination is well managed to meet the needs of both residents and visitors.
While there are major variations in RTO scale and structure, nearly all RTOs are defined by the following common key goal:
To provide sustainable economic, environmental, social, and cultural benefits, through tourism, to the local community.
RTOs are community based, professionally staffed and well linked into the wider visitor industry networks at regional, national and international levels. Therefore, RTO’s are best equipped to lead communities in developing destination management plans, and implementing locally agreed and supportive strategies that enhance their place in a sustainable and regenerative manner.
As a Regional Tourism Organisation, we are the first point of contact of many stakeholders.
