The tourism industry is part way through an ambitious project to reimagine its own future.

TIA Chief Executive Rebecca Ingram shared some top-level information with industry leaders at the TIA Tourism Symposium held during TRENZ today, ahead of a formal consultation in coming weeks.

“New Zealand needs a great plan for tourism. If we want to rebuild, to flourish, to support regions and communities, to showcase our culture, and to protect our environment. Not to mention boosting New Zealand’s economic stability,” Rebecca Ingram said.

“The new strategy will have a long lens, but near-term actions. We need to be able to show where the industry sees itself in 2050 – and what is needed to get there.

Initial thinking suggests focusing on:

• Reducing tourism’s carbon footprint
• Supporting industry prosperity including for the workforce
• Embedding perspectives of te ao Maori.
• Ensuring Aotearoa New Zealand remains an attractive destination for manuhuri
• Introducing new funding mechanisms for the industry
• Enhancing innovation, technology, data and research

“These are some of the things we have identified to take to the industry for discussion. They are what we believe will make New Zealand tourism future-proof for the next generation.

“Now our job is to listen to the industry and our key stakeholders and make sure we are also capturing their wishes and plans,” Rebecca Ingram said.

TIA has been leading the strategy reset process, alongside an Industry Development Group and PwC, to ensure there is a fit-for-purpose guide that is created by industry, for industry.