RTO

The agency’s new CEO John Allen outlines its visitor work and teases “something special” for the region’s operators. 

“There has been a lot of profile on Queenstown and Fiordland but Franz Josef and Fox are in the exactly same boat as those two places and need as much support as we can get them.”

The RTO chief executive on the region’s resilience, reacting to disaster and moving forward.

Job losses are coming after a “significantly larger” than expected funding cut for the RTO.

The campaign would initially target potential visitors in the Northland and Auckland market

New Zealand’s cruise standstill due to Covid-19 will leave “a big hole” for some operators in the Gisborne region, says general manager tourism at Activate Tairāwhiti Adam Hughes.

The council will take $445k from its tourism promotion budget, meaning less money for the region’s destination marketing bodies.

Lake Wanaka Tourism and Ignite Wanaka are promoting a short form video mini-series about local Covid-19 lockdown stories.

ChristchurchNZ general manager destination and attraction Loren Heaphy explains just how a new destination proposition has emerged and how a new regional collective will be launched.

Taupō District Council will take over the management of two i-SITES from Destination Great Lake Taupō from 1 July.

“This funding was completely unexpected. It was not talked about or anticipated at all that it would come to the RTOs.”

The agency is recruiting to build a domestic team along the same lines as its overseas offices.

Great South general manager of tourism and events Bobbi Brown on the tourism sector restart and the important role locals will play in accelerating its success.

Nelson Tasman locals strongly support the visitor sector and have a keen desire to explore the region themselves, a recent survey from Nelson Regional Development Agency shows.

The Government’s $20.2m cash injection for New Zealand’s regional tourism organisations will play a pivotal role in the sector’s rebuild.

The Government
’s $20.2m package to support regional tourism organisations through the Covid-19 recovery acknowledges the significant role they play in the sector, says Regional Tourism New Zealand.

Regional tourism organisations under budget pressure have welcomed the new $20.2m funding from the Government but it came too late to save the job cuts announced in the past week.

Hawke’s Bay Tourism chief executive Hamish Saxton on the success of New Zealand’s first long weekend post-lockdown, and the trickle-down effect of the visitor economy into the country’s other sectors.

Experience Mid Canterbury is shutting its doors with the loss of all jobs and the closure of another i-SITE.

Aoraki Tourism has become the latest RTO to be absorbed by an economic development agency with Timaru District Council providing $350,000 funding.

“i-SITEs nationwide will be making some tough calls in the coming months,” says the RTO’s GM, Dylan Rushbrook.

Chartered aircraft may be used to help international students return to Wellington.

Whanganui & Partners’ latest tourism campaign aims to boost visitors and spending in the region.

A lack of funding at smaller RTOs could mean some regions will not be able to fully participate in the drive to boost domestic demand, says Regional Tourism New Zealand executive officer Charlie Ives.

The GM of regional development, destination and attraction on what ‘reimagining’ means for the tourism sector.

Smaller regional tourism organisations are at risk of being lost because their current destination funding model is inadequate, says Tourism Waitaki general manager Margaret Munro.

Enterprise Dunedin has launched a new domestic marketing campaign, Dunedin, a pretty good Plan D.

Tourism West Coast has launched its ‘Big Coast – Big Deals’ campaign targeting South Island markets.

The local drive market will play a significant role in the recovery of Waikato’s tourism sector, says the chief executive at Hamilton & Waikato Tourism.

Hawke’s Bay Tourism has launched its domestic marketing campaign, which aims to “dominate” the Wellington market and drive visitation to the region to revive the local visitor economy.

Lake Wanaka Tourism has gone live with its winter ski campaign, The Mountains are Waiting, leading with a campaign video.

Destination Rotorua chief executive Michelle Templer on the prime minister Jacinda Ardern’s visit this week and how the city is extending a warm haere mai to New Zealanders.

New research is also underway to gain a better understanding of the domestic market, says the agency.

Fighting for the same slice of the domestic tourism pie could be problematic for neighbouring RTOs, says Visit Ruapehu general manager Jo Kennedy.

Explore Your Place is a local marketing campaign by ChristchurchNZ that promotes tourism experiences in Christchurch, Canterbury and the West Coast.

The campaign would roll out over the coming months with billboards in Auckland, Hamilton, Tauranga and Wellington, television commercials, print and editorial, plus a nationwide digital and social media campaign.

Tourism Central Otago’s has marked its return to destination marketing with the launch of its Reconnect with Central Otago campaign.

Destination Queenstown acting chief executive Ann Lockhart on remaining nimble and relevant in a fast-moving environment and launching a recovery plan which tells Queenstown’s story from the inside out and lays the foundations to inspire a connection with future visitors.

Waitaki District Council and Tourism Waitaki have launched a new campaign, We are missing you, in a bid to draw domestic visitors to the region.

Lake Wanaka Tourism and the town’s chamber of commerce is rallying the community with the launch of a new campaign to collectively promote a “go local” approach to business as the country transitions through alert level 3.

WellingtonNZ’s general manager of marketing and communications, Anna Calver, on the work the agency is doing in lockdown and why locals are the region’s most important tourists.

The RTO is helping to cushion the economic and social impacts of Covid-19, says CEO Michelle Templer.

ChristchurchNZ will receive $250,000 from the Government’s $1m funding package to stimulate short-term domestic visitation in the wake of the Covid-19 outbreak. 

ChristchurchNZ is taking a two-pronged approach to attract domestic visitors to the region amidst the current coronavirus outbreak.

Destination Queenstown will use its share of the Government’s $1m tourism relief fund to stimulate short-lead arrivals in autumn, as it looks to combat the impact of Covid-19.

ATEED and NYC & Company have signed a two-year tourism partnership.

Destination Rotorua’s annual Chinese New Year event has taken place in Auckland as the Year of the Rat is ushered in.

Walker, who joined the organisation on 1 April 2018, will leave in June.

Opportunity seemed to beget challenge in 2019, says the RTO association’s executive officer.

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