Destinate NZ

11/09/2026

It’s Tourism Day at the Taupō races so who better to pop in and say hi than the Tourism & Hospitality Minister herself - Hon Louise Upston MP!

09/09/2026

When bookings slow, the first instinct is often to do more marketing. Post more often, run a campaign, rebuild the website, attend a trade show or add another distribution channel.

All of those activities can help, but they work far better when the business underneath them is strong.

I’ve developed the Destinate Growth Pyramid to help tourism operators look at growth in the right order, beginning with purpose and strong foundations, then building through marketing, distribution and trusted relationships towards sustainable growth.

My latest Knowledge Hub article introduces the framework and explores why so many tourism businesses end up building their growth backwards.

Over the coming weeks, I’ll unpack each layer and share some practical questions you can use to assess your own business.

Where would your business sit on the pyramid right now?

Link in Comments

03/09/2026

Could a travel agent understand and sell your tourism product after looking at it for just 30 seconds?

Last week I took part in four Kiwi North sessions with travel sellers across Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane. One used structured seven-minute appointments, while the others were free-flow - which meant some conversations were even shorter.

It was a very real reminder of how quickly we need to explain what we offer, who it is for and why it deserves a place in a New Zealand itinerary.

Offering commission is important, but it is only the entry ticket. If an agent has to hunt for your pricing, inclusions, cancellation terms, ideal customer or booking process - or work out for themselves where your experience fits - they may simply choose something easier to sell.

My latest article shares a five-question test to help tourism operators look at their product through the eyes of a travel seller.

Take a look, then give your own website or trade material the 30-second test. Would your product pass?

https://www.destinatenz.com/post/commission-doesn-t-make-you-trade-ready

Offering commission might get your tourism product in front of the travel trade, but it doesn’t automatically make it easy to sell. After a week of seven-minute appointments with Australian travel sellers, I’ve been thinking about what genuinely makes an experience trade-ready - and whether your...

26/08/2026

Team Taupō in action at Kiwi North in Melbourne

25/08/2026

And we’re off at Kiwi North 🇳🇿🇦🇺

We’ve kicked off this morning meeting with Australian product managers, with just 7 minutes per appointment — which means I need to talk quickly! 😂

Luckily, it’s pretty easy when you’re representing such great experiences and there’s a genuinely good story to tell.

Australia remains such an important market for New Zealand tourism, and for the operators I represent it’s about more than simply being visible. It’s about building relationships, making sure product managers really understand what makes each experience different, and giving them good reasons to include us in their programmes and itineraries.

This week I’m proudly representing Tongariro River Rafting, Taupo Sailing Adventures and Greatlake Adventures as we take a little slice of the Central North Island across the Tasman.

Sydney first. Let’s go.

13/08/2026

If AI doesn't know your tourism business, will travellers ever find you?

I've been doing a lot of learning lately about how AI is changing travel discovery, and after a great presentation from Tomahawk at the Tourism Export Council conference, followed by Tourism New Zealand's webinar this week, a few things are really starting to click into place for me.

For years we've focused on being found online.

Now we also need to think about whether our businesses can be found, understood, trusted and recommended by AI.

Because travellers are changing the way they search. Instead of typing "things to do in Taupō", they're asking detailed questions about what will suit their family, their interests, the time of year they're travelling and the type of experience they want.

And increasingly, AI is creating that first shortlist for them.

The reassuring part? A lot of what we need to do isn't actually complicated or particularly technical.

Be clear about what you offer and who it's for.
Keep your information consistent across your website, Google, RTO, TNZ and other listings.
Put your trust credentials into words, not just logos.
Answer the real questions your customers are asking.
Create useful, authentic content based on what you genuinely know.

In other words, a lot of this comes back to good marketing.

I've pulled together some of my biggest learnings, along with practical things tourism operators can start looking at now, in my latest Destinate article.

I'm still learning too, and I suspect we'll all be learning for some time given how quickly this space is moving, but this feels like a conversation tourism businesses need to be having now.

Link in comments.

06/08/2026

I’ve been thinking a lot about creativity and tourism since hearing Sir Richard Taylor speak at the Tourism Export Council conference this week.

His challenge was a fascinating one: what if creativity itself became a reason people travelled to New Zealand?

We’ve built an extraordinary tourism reputation around our landscapes, adventure and culture. But across the country there are also artists, makers, storytellers, performers and creative spaces giving visitors another way to understand a place and the people who live there.

Sir Richard talked about creative tourism becoming something we deliberately connect and take to the world, rather than leaving visitors to discover it by chance.

Which is why I loved seeing the new Creativity Lives in Waikato storytelling series from Waikato District Council and Creative Waikato.

It profiles ten organisations using creativity to strengthen their communities, including the The Sculpture Park at Waitakaruru Arboretum - a wonderful example of what creative tourism can look like.

Art and sculpture woven through a landscape. A reason to explore somewhere you might not otherwise visit. A story that belongs specifically to that place. And an experience that connects visitors with the creativity of the people and community behind it.

Sir Richard described creativity as “infrastructure within our tourism industry” - something that can help communities thrive, businesses evolve and New Zealand tell stories that people want to step into.

I think there’s something pretty powerful in that.

Imagine travelling through New Zealand with our creative experiences mapped alongside our great walks, food and w**e, wildlife and adventure experiences — sculpture parks, galleries, studios, public art, festivals, Māori creative practice, film, fashion, music, theatre, design and the wonderfully quirky things communities create themselves.

Not replacing what New Zealand is already famous for, but adding another compelling layer to why people come, where they travel and what they remember.

As Sir Richard put it: “Come to New Zealand, be well and leave inspired by creativity.”

I’d love to see us embrace that idea.

And in the meantime, take a look at Creativity Lives in Waikato and some of the creative energy already flourishing in our own backyard.

👇
kotahitangagallery.nz/creativity-lives-in-waikato/organisations

Have you seen ‘Creativity Lives in Waikato?’ This storytelling series, a partnership between Waikato District Council and Creative Waikato, shines a light on ten local organisations using creativity to strengthen their communities.

From the Sculpture Park at Waitakaruru Arboretum to youth centres, community gardens, and cultural societies across the district, each story shows the same thread: people and community wellbeing at the heart of the mahi.

Take a look at the profiles and discover the creative energy shaping our towns 👇
🔗 kotahitangagallery.nz/creativity-lives-in-waikato/organisations

06/08/2026

What a way to wrap up two fantastic days at the Tourism Export Council of New Zealand Conference.

The inaugural TECNZ Black Tie Awards, held at the stunning new Te Kaha Stadium in Christchurch, were a wonderful celebration of the people and businesses helping shape New Zealand’s tourism industry.

Congratulations to all of tonight’s winners and recipients:

🏆 Small/Medium Inbound Operator: Bloomoon New Zealand
🏆 Large Inbound Operator: Southern World Vacations
🏆 Small/Medium Allied Member: Auckland & Beyond
🏆 Large Allied Member: Distinction Hotels
🏆 New Member of the Year: Abel Tasman Sailing Adventures

🌟 Good Sort Award: Debs Summers
🌟 Unsung Hero Award: Joleen Redden
🌟 Young TEC Leadership Development Award: Emma Bradley
🌟 Young TEC Rising Star Award: Emma Clarke

👏 Service to the Industry Award: Paul Yeo

A special acknowledgement also to those recognised for their long-standing contribution to TECNZ:

• Anna Clerk – 13 years of service and Past President
• Mark Quickfall – 14 years of service

Awards nights like this are a reminder that behind every visitor experience, every successful partnership and every tourism business are passionate people who continue to back our industry.

It was a fitting way to finish a couple of inspiring days of learning, sharing ideas and reconnecting with colleagues from across New Zealand.

Congratulations again to everyone recognised, and thanks to Tourism Export Council New Zealand for bringing the industry together for another outstanding conference.

15/07/2026

Tourism operators... I'd be interested in your thoughts.

How many of you received an email today from a major OTA advising of changes to its Terms & Conditions?

One change that caught my attention was the ability to use commission to discount your retail rate on their site.

For years, many of us have worked hard to maintain rate parity across our distribution channels. If OTAs begin undercutting operators' own retail pricing, it raises some interesting questions about the long-term impact on direct bookings, trade relationships and pricing integrity.

It's also interesting given this is an OTA that benefits significantly from joint venture marketing activity with many RTOs and Tourism New Zealand.

I'm genuinely curious how other operators feel about this.

Does this concern you?
Will it change the way you work with OTAs?
Or do you see it as simply the direction the industry is heading?

I'd love to hear different perspectives.

14/07/2026

Last week I asked a simple question:

Are you getting honest feedback, or just the feedback people feel comfortable giving?

The response to that article sparked some great conversations, with many people sharing experiences of surveys where they didn't feel entirely comfortable being completely honest.

So this week I've taken the conversation one step further.

If you're asking customers, staff, members or stakeholders for feedback, how do you design a survey that people actually trust?

In my latest blog, I explore:

✔ When anonymous, confidential and identified surveys are appropriate

✔ Why trust matters more than the survey platform you use

✔ How to ask better questions

✔ Why closing the feedback loop is just as important as collecting the responses

I've also included a practical checklist you can use before sending your next survey.

I'd love to hear your thoughts.

What's the best survey you've ever completed, and what made it work so well?

Link to the full article in the comments.