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AROUND THE MOTU
Regional Highlight Snapshot
Maori Regional Tourism Organisation
TAI RAWHITI VENTURES INC
E nga mana me nga reo mo ngai Maori e u ana ki nga kaupapa tapoi,
ka tukuna atu nga mihi kau atu ki nga topito katoa o te motu,i roto i nga
manaakitanga papai katoa a Ranginui me Papatuanuku.
No reira tena rawa koutou!
… We thought we would take the opportunity to inform the wider NZMTC
membership a bit about its newest fellow MRTO member…
Tai Rawhiti Ventures Inc is the MRTO for the Turanganui-a-Kiwa (Gisborne)
and wider Tairawhiti region, and has been recognised as such by its
operator-members since Mahuru (September) 2007. Tai Rawhiti Ventures became a
full MRTO member of NZMTC in mid-2008.
Establishing the MRTO for the Turanganui-a-Kiwa (Gisborne) and
wider Tairawhiti region (whilst also linking through traditional associations
with Wairoa, Waikaremoana, and Mahia), occurred as the result of ongoing effort,
commitment and collaboration of a core network of Maori business individuals and
operators - over the past five years in particular - who shared common
aspirations for the positive development of largely untapped Tairawhiti
potential inherent in its indigenous people, places, arts, histories, and
stories, which they recognised would greatly enhance the growth of Maori tourism
experience and product for the area.
The organisation has founded itself upon a Tikanga-Based Kaupapa
Arahi or Code of Ethics, which upholds the indigenous values of tangata whenua,
and is integral to all organisational strategic priorities and activities. It
sees these values as critical to the cultural integrity of quality Maori tourism
product in the region.
Through its Affiliated Membership criteria, Tai Rawhiti Ventures
also recognises the rich diversity of the many tribal groupings who exist across
the Tairawhiti region - (alphabetically) Kahungunu ki Te Wairoa, Nga Ariki
Kaiputahi, Ngai Tamanuhiri, Ngai Tamaterangi, Ngati Konohi, Ngati Oneone, Ngati
Pahauwera, Ngati Porou, Ngati Ruapani, Rongomaiwahine, Rongowhakaata, Ruapani,
Te Aitanga-a-Hauiti, Te Aitanga-a-Mahaki, Te Whanau-a-Apanui, Te Whanau A Kai.
Tai Rawhiti Ventures' strategic vision is "to create
sustainable opportunities for prosperity, self-determination, pride and
celebration for and by indigenous tangata whenua." - "He hanga i nga
pou toko angitu, hei akiakinga i te tonuitanga me te rangatiratanga o ngai
tangata whenua."
As an organization, we aim to fulfil our vision through the
mission statement of "Supporting and promoting quality Maori owned and
operated tourism ventures", and guided by the whakatauki - "Ma te
korero, ka rangona: Ma te mahi, ka kitea" ("By your words you are
heard: By your actions, you are known)".
Tai Rawhiti Ventures Inc are progressively on a mission, and are keenly
operator-focused. The Executive Committee for Tai Rawhiti Ventures is:
Tumuaki (Chair/President) - Rikirangi Moeau
Kaitautoko Tumuaki (Vice-Chair) - Anne McGuire
Kaitiaki Putea (Treasurer) - Georgina Johnson
Other Executive Committee members - Dean Savage, Paku Kingi
Maever Moeau has been appointed as Pouhere Kaupapa (Project
Manager) for the organisation, through funding support from the Ministry of
Social Development.
There are also a number of upcoming workshops, events and other
developments on the boil in the Tairawhiti - for which further detail will be
provided in the next panui. The first workshop is the Event Management Training
national certificate (level 4) qualification, through the Enterprise Training
Programme. This will occur in association with Skills Active Wellington and will
occur in March.
... Kati noa nei nga maramara korero mo tenei wa. A, hei kona
mai i nga ihiihi a Tamanui te Ra, me te tai o te ra e whitiwhiti mai ana… Tihe!
Contact: Maever Moeau
Email: trv@actrix.co.nz
Operator Feature
Tai Rawhiti has a number of Maori tourism operators
worthy of note and takes this opportunity to introduce a couple of their shining
stars:
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Dive Tatapouri
Contact: Dean and Chris Savage
Phone: +64 6 868 5153
Email: divetatapouri@xtra.co.nz
Web: www.divetatapouri.com
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Waka Toa weaves together the rich performance tradition
of the Maori with a unique life giving message in an authentic encounter with
Maori culture. Fun, educational and entertaining, performances are an experience
for people of all ages.
Waka Toa
PO Box 51
Gisborne
Phone: +64 6 868 5425
Fax: +64 6 867 2324
Email: info@wakatoa.com
Web: www.wakatoa.com
What
is Living Landscapes?
Maori live in a storied landscape where the land is alive; every river, every
mountain, every beach in Aoteraoa New Zealand has a story handed down to us from
our ancestors. Living Landscapes provides visitors with an understanding of how
unique our people, places and stories are:
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on a National level we share
the story of "The Fish of Maui"
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on a Regional level we share
our own regional stories that are often related to the different parts of the
Fish, Waka and Anchor of Maui
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And perhaps most important of
all is:
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at the Local level our
operators share their own stories about their
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people and places
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The aim of this initiative is to enhance and
deepen the visitor experience of New Zealand, and their understanding of the Māori
world - by the provision of information about New Zealand through Māori eyes and the sharing of those stories.
www.livinglandscapes.co.nz
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ACTIVITIES UNDERWAY
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NZMTC is currently updating the operator listings on www.livinglandscapes.co.nz. If you are a Maori tourism operator NOT listed on
this site but wish to be – please contact Joanne Andrews before 31 March on joanne@maoritourism.co.nz or phone
04 815 9044.
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We are close to printing the first two brochures – Te Upoko o te Ika and Te
Tau Ihu. These will support the two Living Landscapes DVDs that currently exist.
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NZMTC is working with ATTTO and Tourism NZ to support the i-SITE Cultural
Tourism training using these stories. They are a core component of that
training.
This is all intended to attract more visitors to our
Maori tourism businesses, right around Aotearoa New Zealand.
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HELPFUL TOURISM RESOURCES |
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AOTEAROA MATARIKI PROJECT
 Vonese and Lee were recently at the Te Matatini Kapa
Haka Nationals in Tauranga.
They met a lot of people, from tamariki, teenagers,
koroua, kuia, community groups, schools, kura kaupapa, kohanga to government
departments, private companies, while on the Matariki stand.
They made some great contacts and are busy following
up the interest that the Matariki stand created i.e. people wanting to list
their Matariki event, interested in the training or wanting one of the co-ordinators
to come and talk to their group.
If you know of any Matariki events going on in your
rohe, please make sure you tell them about this website. Anyone who is
running a Matariki event can list their event – no matter how big or how small
– all they have to do is register, www.matarikievents.co.nz
This ensures that our visitors know where they can go
to experience Matariki for themselves and to gain a better insight into te Ao
Maori.
So, if you would like to have a korero please give
them a call or send them an email.
Vonese Walker
Ngati Tukorehe / Ngati Raukawa / Ngati Rangiwewehi
Phone: +64 4 815 9046
Mobile: +64 21 683 681
Email: Vonese@maoritourism.co.nz
Lee Beazley
Nga puhi / Ngati Hine / Te Aitanga-a-Mahaki / Ngai Tamanuhiri
Phone: +64 4 815 9042
Mobile: +64 27 554 4416
Email: lee@maoritourism.co.nz
OTHER TOURISM NEWS
Campaign to promote Qualmark domestically
 A new advertising campaign is set to provide a boost
to the Qualmark programme by raising awareness among travellers here in New
Zealand.
The campaign will be the first time that Qualmark has
been directly aligned to the award-winning 100%Pure New Zealand brand.
With the tagline 100% Pure Assurance, the advertising
has the message: choose Qualmark and make sure your holiday is the best it can
be.
TNZ CEO George
Hickton says the campaign is about helping create a clear link between Qualmark
and the experiences promised through the 100%Pure New Zealand campaign.
"Now more than ever in the current economic
climate it is important to focus on quality. Strong brands are the ones that
pull through in recessionary times. This campaign and its links to the 100% Pure
New Zealand brand will help define New Zealand as a quality destination.
"With the launch of Qualmark Green last year,
Qualmark is now well-placed to help us deliver on the growing expectations of
our visitors. "It is helping drive up environmental standards in the
industry as well as the quality of experiences on offer."
(source: Inside Tourism Mar 6th)
FINAL
NZMTC COMMENT
There’s a fair bit happening out there in the
industry at present with the new Government, falling arrivals, job summits and
other response initiatives coming thick and fast.
TIA and the Ministry of Tourism, with Tourism New
Zealand support, have developed a simple survey that will help better understand what is going on in the industry in
these changing times. Please take the time to contribute to this important
survey.
We have had feedback from a few operators stating they
have had a successful season thus far with strong bookings right through until
the end of Autumn. So it’s not all doom and gloom – there are still
opportunities out there. The exchange rate is favourable against the NZ dollar
for many of our markets and this is also a positive.
It is really important that we work together during
this time to ensure we make the most of whatever marketing initiatives are out
there.
The NZMTC is co-ordinating with the MRTOs on a very
good marketing initiative around the telling of your regional stories through a
set of brochures for use in regions and by our trade partners overseas that
introduces YOUR region – through Maori eyes.
If you’re a Maori tourism operator wishing to
participate in the Living Landscapes initiative contact your local MRTO or our
office in Wellington.
Phone: 04 815 9038
Fax: 04 815 9049
Email: info@maoritourism.co.nz
Ngā mihi nui ki a koutou
Neville Forman
Chief Executive
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Nga mihi nui ki a koutou