New tourism CEO visits the Bay
At the recent Golden Bay Promotions Association AGM are the 2010-2011 chairperson Paddy Gillooly with Nelson Tasman Tourism’s new CEO Lynda Keene. Photo: Gerard Hindmarsh.
Nelson Tasman Tourism’s (NTT) new CEO Lynda Keene says she wants to try and engage with the communities she serves and her two recent visits to the Bay make her sound like a woman of her word.
At the AGM of the Golden Bay Promotion Association two weeks ago, Ms Keene, complimented the association on the efforts it makes on behalf of business in the Bay.
“I’m really impressed by how organised you are in your marketing. We’d like NTT to become a financial member,” she told the members.
Returning to touch base with the Golden Bay Community Board at its June meeting the following week, Ms Keene once again spoke about the way NTT spends the money it is granted by its joint owners, the Nelson City Council and the Tasman District Council. She also stressed that companies in the tourist industry spend considerable amounts of money on their own account.
“We spend $220,000 on marketing, but tourist businesses spend a further $290,000 with us and an extra $250,000 outside of NTT. The money the councils put in is only part of the marketing picture. Marketing is the part of our job we do to get people to come to the region. Getting them over the Hill and into the opportunities over here is enhanced by the activities of the i-sites we run.”
The Rugby World Cup was likely to provide tourism businesses in our region with a real opportunity, said Ms Keene, citing the thousands of campervans that were already booked and the importance of the projected 38,000 Australian visitors. Many of them are likely to come to Nelson to support their team when it plays Russia on 1 October.
“There are three games in Nelson, involving four teams. Maybe 5000 to 15,000 people will flow through our region over a four-week period. The greatest opportunity for Golden Bay is the UK and Australian markets. Research suggests that 60 to 65 per cent of supporters will be travelling independently in cars and vans. In the next six months we have an opportunity to really rock the industry,” she said. “Also, because of the extent of the seasonality of the industry in our region, we have launched a new slogan: “It’s all here, all year”.
The Nelson Tasman region attracts 620,000 visitors each year. Two thirds are domestic tourists and one third are from overseas.
Ms Keene spoke about the opportunities offered by cycle tourism now that the Heaphy Track is open to mountain bikers in the winter. She also mentioned the Takaka Hill as a potential magnet to motorcycle tourists after a television programme was shot recently highlighting what she called “one of the world’s greatest motorcycle rides”.
Neil Wilson
