Media Release

Shared Service Initiative to Promote Northland

Whangarei District Council and regional economic development agency Northland Inc Ltd are joining forces in a new shared service initiative to promote the Northland Region.

Northland Inc’s CEO David Wilson said Whangarei District Council’s District Promotions and Tourism Manager Paul Davis will take on a new role with Northland Inc, covering oversight and management of all Regional Promotion and Tourism activities alongside his Whangarei District Tourism duties. This includes attending key trade events, overseeing tourism trade and wholesaler familiarisations, engagement with key stakeholders and working with the tourism industry in Northland. He will also have strategic input into regional and district promotion and marketing that reaches beyond Tourism to inward investment.

Northland Inc is a Council Controlled Operation (CCO) owned by the Northland Regional Council on behalf of ratepayers. Bill Shepherd, the regional council's chairman, says he's delighted the two councils have seen the advantages in working closely on another initiative that will deliver benefits to their shared ratepayer base.

"Both councils are very keen to share services whenever possible and there are already a number of examples where this is happening including Civil Defence, information technology and lab services."

Mr Wilson said there is a clear synergy across regional and district activities as well as the opportunity to reduce the duplication of effort that can occur with employees working for different organisations with similar objectives.

“We need to join the dots in Northland. With Paul’s past experience in regional and international tourism, and his role at WDC, he is in a great position to be able to build strong alignment between the outcomes Whangarei District is seeking, and those we are seeking for Northland as a whole,” Mr Wilson said.

“One of his first responsibilities will be to develop a new visitor strategy as part of the Northland 2025 ten year economic action plan. He will also oversee improvements to the www.Northlandnz.comwebsite, and the Twin Coast Discovery revitalisation project. This project has already identified the need to support sub-regional marketing and product development opportunities.

“The Bay of Islands has different needs than the Tutukaka Coast or the Kauri Coast, for example. Our new approach will enable us to work with different areas and cater to their needs rather than having a blanket approach, and the sum total of these efforts will benefit the region.

“Likewise there are very exciting developments in Maori cultural tourism, and through Tourism New Zealand in specialised sector offerings such as golf and food and wine. All of these things need to be brought together under Northlandnz.com promoting Northland as a wonderful place to visit, invest and live,” Mr Wilson said.

“Paul is ideally placed to manage these projects and we look forward to fabulous marketing, product development and increased length of stay and spend from our visitors.”

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