NZ Tourism Minister commends Ruapehu’s tourism plan

Tuesday, April 18, 2023

Peeni Henare, Tourism Minister, New Zealand, is keen to see tourism jobs as a career pathway as an alternative to seasonal jobs.

Also, he expects that the new destination management plan of Ruapehu – Tahia Ko Puanga – does have the power to achieve that.

At Raetihi Marae, Henare participated at a lunch to know more about Future Ohakune, Pipiriki Hub, and Pōkākā Eco-sanctuary and explore the sanctuary.

Henare while speaking to the Chronicle commended the initiations of the community and Ruapehu operators for aiming on a tourism plan that’s value-based.

Henare also said that the gap in international tourism that they experienced during the pandemic times has given opportunities to turn their focus from tourism’s monetary value to the values of their communities and what they are keen on offering as tourism destinations.

The numbers related to International tourism have not returned to the levels of pre-Covid times but now individual visitors are more spending than they did before Covid happened and that is very hopeful.

Henare added that it was unbelievable to see Ruapehu and other communities implementing their special attributes of culture in tourism initiatives.

He explained that the fact that Tahia Ko Puanga had the voices of almost 800 participants of the local region was magnificent.

He said that it was what he likes to call social license.

Henare said he was encouraged to learn that young people in the region were enthusiastic about the plan and vocational training was an integral part of it.

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