Client: Te Rūnanga o Ngāti Awa
Services: Cultural Tourism Strategy Development
Year: 2019
Brief: Develop an innovative, fit-for-purpose iwi tourism development strategy to maximise the contribuiton of Ngāti Awa commercial tourism activty towards the holistic aspirations of the iwi.
Contributors: Project Lead – Jymal Morgan (Ihu Pākihi Ltd); Economic Development Specialist: Dr John Reid (J.L Reid Ltd); William Stewart (Mauriora) – Cultural Tourism Development Specialist
Teaming up with Māori economic development specialists J.L Reed Ltd and Ihu Pākihi Ltd, we embarked on an exciting project with Te Rūnanga o Ngāti Awa to develop a groundbreaking cultural tourism strategy for the Eastern Bay of Plenty based iwi. Supported by the MBIE Māori Innovation Fund, our mission was to maximize the contribution of Ngāti Awa commercial tourism activity toward the holistic aspirations of the iwi, setting a new standard in the iwi tourism space.
Our approach went beyond the conventional focus on commercial returns as the sole measure of success. Instead, we sought to create an alternative model that harmonised commercial realities with the holistic aspirations of Ngāti Awa, generating positive social, cultural, environmental and economic impacts to ensure the benefits of tourism remained within the iwi and contributed to its long-term sustainability.