Following the launch of the Manawatū Destination Management Plan in early 2023, CEDA has been focusing on supporting the visitor sector to sustainably grow through a number of projects and interventions, from cluster and product development, sourcing and developing research and insights, partnering with travel trade and targeting investment opportunities to grow our region’s capacity.
Part of this work focuses on developing the capability of our visitor sector to help grow our slice of the tourism pie and to work towards attracting broader markets, including international, that align with our offerings. Fostering business development and nurturing the entire visitor ecosystem to ensure sustainable growth is a key priority for CEDA, as tourism involves much more than just marketing our destination – although that is important too!
Developing our collective capability
One of CEDA’s Sector Development Senior’s, Michelle Jurgens, is tasked with just that. Her role at CEDA focuses on planning and implementing programmes of work that identify and address the gaps and needs of our visitor sector, from becoming trade ready, to diversifying into agritourism, or delving into the world of sustainable business.
Collaborating with businesses and stakeholders across the region, this work has recently included the first travel-trade workshop, where over 20 operators from across the region came together to better understand how to leverage and work with inbound travel buyers and sellers.
This work is about future-proofing the visitor economy, ensuring it has the necessary tools and capabilities to meet both current and future needs.
About the workshop
The ‘Trade Ready' workshop, facilitated by Marijke Dunselman, a veteran in the New Zealand tourism and travel trade industry, provided regional visitor sector operators with valuable insights into getting travel trade ready, and leveraging inbound travel sellers and buyers. The outcomes of the workshop were highly positive, with participants working to develop new and refined trade-ready products and forming a regional collective to continue supporting each other. Here are some of the enthusiastic responses from attendees:
Dunselman herself remarked on LinkedIn, " The passion, experience, and professionalism of this group will see the number of international visitors to this beautiful region grow."
What’s in store for the next 12 months?
In the coming year, CEDA's focus will be on optimising existing products to target the domestic market while keeping an eye on international opportunities that align to our offerings. The latest visitor data indicates that the market is cooling, making it essential for the region to identify and highlight its unique points of difference. CEDA aims to attract travelers seeking meaningful experiences, whether they are here to visit friends and whānau, to do business or attend events, or are independent travelers exploring new destinations.
