Key tourism industry partners gathered in Cambridge last week to meet with Waikato i-Site operators and discuss current issues.
Representatives from Cambridge and Te Awamutu were present and shared their plans to “go it alone” following Waipā District Council’s decision to end its annual grants to the two organisations.
Tourism New Zealand’s Paul Yeo updated the group on data released earlier in the week which showed international visitors now contributed $10.8 billion to the economy.
Nearly 6800 tourism operators are back post Covid and contribute employment indirectly to 317,514 New Zealanders, he said.
The data also showed more than 80 per cent of residents personally benefited from tourism and 37 per cent of respondents recognised that tourism activity enabled local businesses to stay open.
Mystery Creek Events Centre spoke about recent changes to its commission structure while an Interislander representative shared details of the challenges the company is facing.
Simon Brew
Cambridge Town Hall Community Trust general manager Simon Brew presented on the plans to bring the hall back to life and the work associated with that.
Meanwhile Cambridge Grey Power has added its support to Destination Cambridge and Destination Te Awamutu.
In an email after its recent general meeting, secretary Mike O’Driscoll encouraged members to contact the council about its plans to stop funding the two information centres.
“Many members at the meeting expressed strong disapproval of this proposal,” he said.
“Your committee strongly encourages you to make a submission.”
Submissions must come from individuals, not groups or organisations, and be submitted by June.
Tourism talk fest, from left: Paul Yeo (Tourism NZ), Simon Brew, Louise Wells (Te Kuiti), Hailey Max (Hamilton), Cathy Balvert (Morrinsville), Michele Laurie (Te Aroha), Gay Bartlett (Morrinsville), Ruth Crampton (Cambridge), Andrea Foster (Whitianga) and Vanessa Drinkwater (Ōtorohanga). Photo: Mary Anne Gill.
