Queenstown, New Zealand (7 September 2023) The board of directors for Destination Southern Lakes, the new destination management organisation (DMO) for the Queenstown and Wānaka region, have been announced today.
The destination management organisation will oversee the implementation of the region’s destination management plan, ‘Travel to a Thriving Future,’ which was endorsed by Queenstown Lakes councillors in February 2023 and is a partnership between Destination Queenstown (DQ), Lake Wānaka Tourism (LWT) and the Queenstown Lakes District Council (QLDC), with input from Kāi Tahu and the Department of Conservation.
This DMO will be the first of its kind in New Zealand, focused solely on delivery of destination management initiatives, and will umbrella the region’s two regional tourism organisations (DQ and LWT). The development of a DMO reflects the importance of consistent delivery of destination management initiatives across the region.
An extremely high calibre of candidates applied for the Board and after a thorough and robust recruitment process over the last three months, the following five successful candidates have been appointed to the Board: Murray Strong (Chair), AJ Millward, Dr Kate Meyer, Dean Fraser and Kristine Dunne. The Chairs of DQ and LWT, Richard Thomas and Calum MacLeod, complete the DMO board.
The DMO will ensure there is effective, accountable leadership that can guide stakeholders across sectors and communities to deliver the destination management plan and its projects. Establishing an independent governance group to oversee progress at a districtwide level will ensure a whole-system approach together with an appropriate balance of independence, accountability and expertise.
Destination Queenstown CE Mat Woods said he was excited to have such a strong Board appointed to oversee the delivery of the destination management plan.
“The Queenstown Lakes District has the ambitious goal for the region’s visitor economy to be regenerative and carbon zero by 2030. To meet that goal, we need to get underway with delivering the projects from the DMP. It’s great to have the governance in place for the DMO so now the RTOs, QLDC and other organisations can get going with delivering the projects,” says Mr Woods.
The RTOs will undertake destination management work where it makes sense within their current resource levels as well as continuing to work on shaping the right demand for the region, focusing on quality over quantity and high contributing visitors.
Travel to a Thriving Future sets out to ensure that tourism supports a thriving community – environmentally, socially, culturally and economically. The strategy is an output of the Grow Well | Whaiora Spatial Plan, a formal partnership between QLDC, Kāi Tahu and the Crown.
Destination Southern Lakes Board of Director Bios
Murray Strong – B.A., M.A.Sc., M.Inst, NZ
Independent Chair – Centre of Digital Excellence of NZ Ltd.
Independent Chair – Southern Digital Transformation Programme.
Chair – NZ Institute of Skills & Technology – Te Pūkenga.
Independent director and chair, and a member of the Institute of Directors.
Governance and senior management experience across many sectors and experience in statutorily appointed Crown roles
(Commissioner), governance roles on Crown Entity Boards & independent Chairman and directorships.
AJ Millward
Current Managing Director/Owner Transcend Consulting Ltd
Trustee – Free for All
Executive Committee Member – Women on Boards
20 years working in natural resources, environment and economic development.
8 years of direct governance experience.
20 years working with Ministers, Boards of Inquiry, Crown Entity Boards.
Dr Kate Meyer – PhD, Be (1st Class)
Sustainability scientist, engineer and author.
Founding Director / Trustee – The Planetary Accounting Network (PAN)
Former Business Director – Sustainability Beca
Former Director – Ecometrics
Former Lecturer Curtin University – Climate Change Policy (master’s level), Decarbonising Cities and Regions (master’s levels).
Dean Fraser – M.B.A Political & Indigenous Studies
Current – General Manager Transformation at Ngāi Tahu Holdings
Director – Downie Stewart Foundation (Moana House)
Board Member – Department of Conservation (Otago)
Director – New Dunedin Hospital
Chair – Action Engineering
Former Director Ōtākou Ltd
Former GM Risk & Programs and Enterprise Program Manager – Silver Fern Farms
Former Snr executive, director and accredited Australian Institute of Company Directors.
Kristin Dunne – BBS
Current – Strategist – Miles Partnership
Co-Deputy Chair, Tourism Industry Aotearoa (TIA)
Advisor – GOOD Travel Foundation
Trustee – Regional Tourism NZ RTNZ)
Advisory Group Tourism Futures Taskforce
Co-Founder, Trustee & Vice-Chair Sophie Elliot Foundation
Former – Chief Executive Tourism Bay of Plenty.
Richard Thomas – B.Com
Chairman – Destination Queenstown
Chairman – Queenstown Lakes Community Housing Trust
Director – USX
Director – Skyline Enterprises
Director – Bookme
Calum MacLeod
Former Deputy Mayor and Councillor QLDC
Chairman – Lake Wānaka Tourism
Served on Wānaka Community Board
Founder and owner of Cinema Paradiso
Travel to a thriving future – a summary
Travel to a thriving future is the Queenstown Lakes destination management strategy. Developed from the combined feedback of local communities, it is the region’s roadmap to becoming a regenerative tourism destination by 2030. The strategy is an output and priority initiative of the Queenstown Lakes Grow Well | Whaiora Spatial Plan
The strategy outlines the current state of tourism, defines regenerative tourism and outlines 23 key projects to be delivered. It recognises that the visitor economy has an important role in achieving value, socially, culturally, environmentally and economically.
The plan draws on Kāi Tahu (the region’s iwi) values to inform decision-making including whanaukataka (family and community focused), manaakitaka (hospitality) and kaitiakitaka (guardianship).
The keystone project of the strategy, is to rapidly cut emissions and make the visitor economy carbon zero by 2030. The commitment includes Scope 3 emissions – all emissions from air travel and ground transportation.
Scoping work has already begun on how the region will decarbonise the visitor economy, with four strategies outlined:
Mitigate emissions by deploying existing clean-energy solutions, fostering more rapid innovation, accelerating the adoption of existing technology, and making significant conservation efforts
Understand optimal visitation levels and focus on value by increasing length of stay and/or yield per visitor and total revenue
Evolve marketing plans and influence partner organisations to change the business mix, attracting market segments with a lower carbon-intensity and higher value
Invest in carbon removal solutions on the path towards decarbonisation for difficult to abate emissions, in line with Oxford Principles.
Completing this keystone project is considered a prerequisite to creating a regenerative economy and is a key enabler of other projects.
There are a total of 23 projects, which range from developing arts, culture and heritage; to zero waste and pollution; to a emergency and climate adaptation preparedness (see ‘Plan on a page’ below or Travel to a thriving future page 21). https://marketing.queenstownnz.nz/acton/ct/44251/s-0109-2309/Bct/q-0029/l-0025:64a/ct2_0/1/lu?sid=TV2%3ALeH5sYXFt
The projects fall under three strategic pillars and foundations for success:
Enrich communities and enhance the visitor experience
Restore the environment and decarbonise the visitor economy
Build economic resilience, capability and productivity
Foundations for success
Travel to a thriving future also contains appendices which define key concepts including decarbonisation and carbon zero.
