Case Study
World Indigenous Tourism Summit 2018
NZ Māori Tourism
15-18 April 2018
Waitangi, Bay of Islands
Whatungarongaro te tangata, toitu te whenua.
As people disappear from sight, the land remains.
Working closely in conjunction with New Zealand Māori Tourism and the World Indigenous Tourism Alliance (WINTA), CI welcomed more than 300 indigenous tourism operators and world leaders from 15 countries to the beautiful Bay of Islands to discuss developments and challenges in indigenous tourism.
Highlights of the action-packed week included the pōwhiri incorporating heartfelt indigenous welcomes from multiple nations followed by a traditional hangi at the historic Waitangi Treaty Grounds; an inspirational keynote from Vice President of the American Himalayan Foundation (and eldest son of Tenzing Norgay) Norbu Tenzing; and an outdoor cinema night complete with kiwi treats like onion dip and pineapple lumps!
The programme was an engaging and dynamic mix of plenary and deep-dive sessions, facilitated workshops and ample networking opportunities. A post-summit Research Symposium at Hopuhopu allowed a smaller group to be lead through a facilitated collaboration where ideas were shared and future developments set in motion.
CI played a pivotal role in managing everything from international speaker arrangements, to the onsite airport transfer coordination and hosting in Auckland, to the negotiation of the exclusive use of the Copthorne Hotel and Resort.
"
THOUGHT-PROVOKING, EMOTIONALLY charged, colourful, tearful, poetic, full of song. But, above all, truthful...the World Indigenous Tourism Summit which finished at Waitangi on Wednesday was the most memorable conference iT has attended in two decades."
— Nigel Coventry
Managing Editor, inside Tourism
