Tania Burt: Northland Inc Head of Destination on tourism organisations teaming up to shine a light on its tourism offerings

Tourism organisations from across the North Island are teaming up to shine a light on its tourism offerings.

Fifteen operators including Tātaki Auckland Unlimited, Rotorua NZ and Northland Inc have signed a Memorandum of Understanding.

It aims to generate interest from key tourism markets particularly Australia, North America and China.

Northland Inc Head of Destination Tania Burt told Ryan Bridge tourists fly into Auckland and then head straight to the South Island. 

She says only 20-30% of their region's visitors are international, hence the need to work together.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
A conglomerate, you could save fifteen torourism organizations. They're hoping
to attract more overseas visitors to the North Island of
New Zealand. So when you get all your foreigners coming
in at Auckland Airport, they want to steal them and
keep them in the north Land. Tarnia Bird's head of
destination at north and inc with me this morning, Twanna,
good morning, good morning. You want to steal them all
and keep them for yourself?

Speaker 2 (00:22):
Oh why not? We need more international visitors? Why not?

Speaker 1 (00:27):
Yes? So where do they normally go? Because it depends
on who they are, right, but generally speaking, they come
into Auckland, they go to Hobbiton, they go to they
jump on a plane down to Queenstown and then they're out.
Is that about fear, Yeah, you've.

Speaker 2 (00:42):
Probably answered the golden roots question. So where do the
majority of international visitors go? We do have them dispersed
throughout the country, but when it comes to a region
like ours, the only region north of Auckland, of course
they have to make a very intentional decision to turn
the other direction and add that into their trips. So
for us we only get around twenty to thirty percent

(01:04):
of our visitation is international. The rest is domestic, so
hence the need to all work together to make sure
that those international visitors are better dispersed throughout the country,
throughout the island, and also to make sure that we
get more because everyone needs a few more visitors.

Speaker 1 (01:20):
I was having a beer at the Duke of Marlborough
a couple of weeks ago, which I seem to do
a lot these days, and were speaking to the owner.
He said, actually, he's had one of his best summers
ever because we've had a lot more American tourists and
Americans are more inclined to go up to Northland than say,
you're Chinese visitors.

Speaker 2 (01:39):
Yes, yes, he's absolutely correct. A bear at the Duke
is always a good idea as well, so we support that.
And this new collective of organizations working together will target Australia,
America and primarily China. Those are the first three markets
that will target. So yes, the American visitors are really

(02:00):
important visitors. They do come, they do come to spend
as well, and they do come to see and do
so they're a really good visitor, especially for Northlands. So
this summer we have seen a little bit of an
uptick of international visitors. We're heading back towards you know,
pre twenty twenty numbers and seeing some strength come through
from America. So that's really good news for us and

(02:20):
we're happy to keep growing that.

Speaker 1 (02:22):
So what are you actually going to do to get
them to where you want them to go?

Speaker 2 (02:28):
So the idea behind this new MoU that was signed yesterday.
The MoU is between all North Island regional tourism organizations,
so fifteen organizations and supported by Auckland Airport, Wellington Airport
and Hamilton Airport, so our international airports. The idea is
that we have more direct to consumer, more trade activity

(02:52):
happening offshore and in these markets to convince and to
change those booking patterns and to convince people that North
Island is the place to come. So it's really about
investing ourselves in activity offshore. We'll go along with Tourism
New Zealand's events as well, and Tourism New Zealand do
support this collective initiative. So it's about North Island coming

(03:15):
together and going together to market and it will just
be a stronger proposition with us all there together.

Speaker 1 (03:21):
Interesting, Tanya, appreciate your time this morning Tanya Burt, Northland
Ink head of destination, but part of this group from
the North Island trying to get desperate to get the
tourists to stay here, raight. I mean it'd be nice
if they also went to the South Island, but if
they can stay longer in the North and that's obviously
the goal for them.

Speaker 2 (03:39):
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