Tourism Summit pushes the boundaries

Tourism Summit pushes the boundaries

New Zealand’s tourism industry can learn from the successes and failures of Australia’s mining industry when it comes to retaining public support, according to a keynote speaker at next month’s annual TIA Tourism Summit Aotearoa.

Organised by Tourism Industry Aotearoa, the one-day Summit, 9 November, Wellington, will bring together several hundred leaders from across the $30 billion tourism industry’s private and public sectors. Early bird registrations close 20 October.

TIA Chief Executive Chris Roberts says the programme features a stimulating mix of domestic and overseas experts who will encourage the industry to push the boundaries in order to continually improve its competitive advantage.

Presenters include Bruce Harvey, an Adjunct Professor at Queensland University, who will highlight the tough lessons Australia’s mining companies have learned about gaining support from local communities. Lessons he says also apply to the tourism industry, which needs ongoing public support to thrive.

Maud Olofsson, Chair of Swedish tourism association Visita, will discuss how that country has challenged the way it engages with visitors, while Google’s Travel Account leader Michelle Allen and Weta Workshop’s Rik Athorne will look at innovations in the digital world and what they mean for tourism.

The Summit will also report progress against the industry’s Tourism 2025 aspirational goal of growing annual total tourism revenue to $41 billion within the next nine years.

Mr Roberts says TIA will update the Summit on key strategies to help attain that aspirational goal.

“We will launch a new and innovative online tool that has been developed to help tourism businesses activate domestic tourism and encourage Kiwis to travel throughout the year and visit more regions.

“We will also reveal the preliminary findings of our major infrastructure assessment project that aims to make sure New Zealand gets the right infrastructure in the right places to support strong tourism growth.”

Tourism Summit Aotearoa is supported by Westpac, ServiceIQ, Lincoln University, Wellington Airport, Department of Conservation, Deloitte, New Zealand School of Tourism, Amora Hotel and Smartpay.

Visit www.tourismsummit.co.nz for more details.

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