Newsletter : June 2018
Written by Steph Kendall
Welcome to the New Zealand Tourism Guide June 2018 issue. If you have news or comments, please email us news@tourism.net.nz.
In this May newsletter:
- New Zealand Luxury Showcased in Singapore
- A New Takeaway with Fush and Chips
- Tā Moko Studio Opens in Rotorua
- International Visitor Levy Consultation Opens
- Christchurch to Host Earthquake Symposium
- Duke and Duchess of Sussex to Visit New Zealand
- Tips for Business: Communicating Effectively with US Visitors
- Tourism Site of the Month: Kopuwai Delta Vineyard
New Zealand Luxury Showcased in Singapore
New Zealand's premium offering was on show in Singapore last month at the inaugural International Luxury Travel Mart (ILTM) Asia Pacific 2018. Tourism New Zealand's Regional Manager South and South East Asia, Steven Dixon says the show was an excellent opportunity to showcase New Zealand's premium offering to the people who can influence where high net worth travellers go on holiday.
The New Zealand exhibitors conducted over 450 meetings with buyers and networked with many more during the three-day event. Following ILTM Asia Pacific, Tourism New Zealand brought four luxury travel buyers to New Zealand to experience first-hand what the country has to offer high net worth travellers.
The buyers from Singapore and Hong Kong were introduced to Auckland, Napier, Christchurch, Queenstown and Wanaka's luxury offerings during the five-day familiarisation trip.
A New Takeaway with Fush and Chips
Tourism New Zealand focussed recently on an innovative business approach to teaching te reo Māori. Popular Christchurch seafood restaurant Fush introduced free te reo Māori classes with its first event attracting over 600 people.
Fush is a family-owned business that opened in 2016 with the goal to sell the perfect fish and chips. Manaakitanga (the way in which you show hospitality towards your guests) is important to Fush so everyone is welcomed as one of the family. The restaurant features a menu in both English and te reo Māori and table talkers with basic Māori words to encourage diners to speak Māori to each other while they wait for food.
Te reo Māori in New Zealand is experiencing a renaissance with free classes across the country becoming popular with young and old people looking to reconnect with their culture or learn more about the indigenous Māori culture.
Between 10th and 16th of September New Zealand will celebrate Māori language with Te Wiki o te reo Māori (Māori Language Week) where everyone is encouraged to give the language a go and incorporate it into their everyday lives.
Tā Moko Studio Opens in Rotorua
Visitors to Te Puia|New Zealand Māori Arts and Crafts Institute (NZMACI) in Rotorua will be able to take away a permanent reminder of their visit at the new tā moko studio. The studio will give visitors an insight into the traditional and contemporary art form. Visitors whether receiving a tā moko or not, will be able to gain an insight into the art form through a viewing window, which can be closed for privacy if needed.
Tā moko artist, Jacob Tautari says what makes tā moko (the permanent marking of the face and body) special is that it's not simply an image or design out of a book, but a unique piece reflective of an individual's story. Mr Tautari says educating people about tā moko is an important part of the process.
International Visitor Levy Consultation Opens
Plans to ease the cost burden on communities and ratepayers for tourism-related infrastructure through a proposed a levy on international visitors have been announced by Minister of Tourism Kelvin Davis last week.
"New Zealand is an extraordinary destination for tourists and our rising tourist numbers bear out the popularity of our unique country. But with success comes a burden," said Kelvin Davis. "This rapid growth has impacted on the costs and availability of publicly-provided infrastructure. Many regions are struggling to cope and urgently need improved infrastructure, from toilet facilities to carparks."
Key aspects of the proposal:
- Most international visitors entering New Zealand for 12 months or less would be charged a levy, proposed to be between $25 to $35
- There would be some exemptions, most notably Australian citizens and permanent residents and people from most Pacific Island Forum countries
- The levy would be collected through visa fees and via the proposed Electronic Travel Authority process, also under consultation, for citizens of visa waiver countries
- The levy would collect around $57-80 million in its first year, depending on the rate, which will be split between tourism infrastructure and conservation activity. As the proposed levy will be required to go through a legislative process, it will likely be implemented in the second half of 2019
- Consultation on the International Visitor Conservation and Tourism Levy is open from 15 June to 15 July, along with consultation on the Electronic Travel Authority and fees and levies proposals
Information on all three consultations can be found on the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment website.
Christchurch to Host Earthquake Symposium
A two-day Symposium is to be held later this year on the lessons learned from the Canterbury earthquakes. The Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet and the Christchurch City Council will co-host a Symposium on 29 – 30th November 2018 at the University of Canterbury in Christchurch.
"The Symposium will be an event of national importance, sharing lessons from the Canterbury earthquakes so that New Zealand as a whole can be better prepared in future for any similar natural disasters," says MP Megan Woods.
"The Canterbury earthquakes were unprecedented. They provide us with many valuable lessons, which we continue to review and learn from to ensure our communities are more resilient and prepared."
Duke and Duchess of Sussex to Visit New Zealand
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has welcomed confirmation that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex will make their first official visit together to New Zealand in spring, around the time of the Invictus Games in Sydney.
"It's wonderful news that the Duke and Duchess are coming to New Zealand as part of their first major tour outside the United Kingdom and I look forward to welcoming them here," said Prime Minister, Jacinda Ardern. "I know Prince Harry really enjoyed his last visit here in 2015 and I'm sure New Zealanders will want the Duchess of Sussex to also experience our warm hospitality and manaakitanga on her first visit here as a member of the Royal family.
The visit is still in the planning stage and further details regarding dates and the itinerary will be released closer to their arrival.
Tips for Business: Communicating Effectively with US Visitors
We may speak the same language as visitors from the US, but that doesn't mean we may assume they have the same way of behaving and communicating as we do. Here we look at common cultural differences between Americans and Kiwis and look at some of the ways American visitors may behave in New Zealand.
10 Things to Know
- Americans expect to be greeted immediately and in a friendly, welcoming manner. Handshakes for when they are meeting someone they don't know, hugs and kisses for family and sometimes men may backslap each other.
- Americans may quickly abbreviate your first name, even if they have just met you and without asking. Many women prefer to use "Ms" rather than Mrs or Miss.
- Americans speak English, but their accents vary hugely and they use different words or expressions such as: bathroom meaning the toilet, appetisers meaning first course, entrée meaning main course, dessert meaning pudding, check meaning bill and faucet meaning tap.
- Americans may struggle to understand the Kiwi accent.
- Culturally, Americans value the individual. They tend to be self-reliant and are motivated by a can-do attitude.
- Americans are not afraid of telling you what they really think. They may seem blunt, but it may simply be their more direct way of communicating.
- Good customer service is highly valued in the US. Most US customers expect to be greeted enthusiastically and without delay.
- In restaurants, Americans may want their individual tastes catered for, may request a 'doggy bag' to take leftovers home and they may eat out relatively early (between 5pm and 7pm).
- Americans will be used to leaving a tip for service – possibly as much as 15% of the standard bill.
- Americans love souvenirs and will welcome your interest in where they are from and stories about your positive experiences in the USA.
This is the sixth article in a series of tips for business focussing on how to give great customer service to international visitors. The first five articles focussed on:
- The Importance of Body Language (January)
- Active Listening and Understanding (February)
- Showing Respect and Awareness of Differences (March)
- Communicating Effectively in Words and Speech (April)
- Communicating Effectively with Chinese Visitors (May)
Top Tourism Site of the Month
This month's Top Tourism Site Award goes to Kopuwai Delta Vineyard.
The website for this luxury B&B accommodation utilises stunning photography, a first-class responsive layout and a clear navigation to provide site visitors with an easy and straightforward user experience. The Stay page really works as enticement to stay here – perfectly chosen reviews and extremely high-quality photography. From an editorial perspective, the banner text has a beautiful and clever simplicity saying a great deal about the property in very few words.
Nominate a Site
If you think a New Zealand travel or tourism website deserves a 'Top Tourism Site Award', let us know about it. (View further information about the award criteria).
About the Top Tourism Site Award
The New Zealand Tourism Guide confers a Top Tourism Site Award to websites that:
- Enhance New Zealand as a travel destination
- Publish useful and informative content
- Are laid out in a professional and aesthetically-pleasing manner
- Are designed effectively for the World Wide Web
- June demonstrate easy functionality, interactivity, originality, outstanding graphic quality and marketing reach.
We welcome any feedback — send your comments to: news@tourism.net.nz
Kind regards,
The Team
Ph 0800 14 65 49
www.tourism.net.nz
New Zealand Tourism Guide
Head Office: Ground Floor, 518 Colombo Street, Christchurch