Taupō’s tourism industry gathered in force on Tuesday (August 25) at the Great Lake Centre for the inaugural Lake Taupō Manaakitanga Hui, an event designed to connect, share, and prepare for what Destination Great Lake Taupō (DGLT) hopes will be a standout summer season.
The hui was “about building stronger connections between operators and the people who engage directly with visitors every day,” said DGLT general manager Patrick Dault.
The industry was committed to creating unforgettable experiences for visitors this summer, he said.
The hui attracted close to 120 registered attendees including hoteliers, hotel staff, hospitality partners, retailers, frontliners, and i-SITE representatives from across the central North Island with the Napier i-SITE also in attendance.
More than 24 tourism operators showcased updates, shared new products, and outlined what visitors could expect this summer from adrenaline adventures to cultural highlights.
Dault said research conducted by DGLT earlier this year revealed that the district could do better in telling the story to domestic visitors of the top-class local food and beverage sector but also encouraging people to look beyond the township and explore the region as a whole.
If the district could maintain its market share for domestic visitors but grow international visitors “we think that's a pretty good goal for 2026,” said Dault in his address to the hui, as, despite some extremely busy periods around events like Ironman and the Supercars, there hadn’t been a lot of growth in 2025.
Sustainable growth would involve encouraging both domestic and international tourists to experience more while here – and therefore spend more.
Accomplishing that change of behaviour would come through a unified and connected tourism sector so that accommodation and experience or activity providers could recommend the next thing for visitors to do.
“The ambitious plan… was if we all ask what are you up to next? Or where are you off to next? You should try this… we can confidently and of course honestly say ‘experience the bungee or experience skydiving it's amazing you know you've got to try it and today's a great day.’”
The whole purpose of the hui was a better interconnected tourism sector that helped keep people here experiencing the range of activities on offer, said Dault.
It was possibly a legacy of Covid that this part of tourism had been overlooked.
“At the end of the day our hotel accommodation providers, boutique restaurants, anyone that works front line should be well connected and feel a sense of community with our sector.”
The event opened with a welcome from the Wairakei Terraces kapa haka group, who also announced the return of their cultural hāngi and concert performances for the summer season making a comeback after a hiatus during Covid.
There were also creations for delegates to enjoy from local dining icons Baked with Love and The Brantry Eatery, not only aimed at connecting Taupō’s tourism and hospitality sectors but also to celebrate the region’s recent recognition in Cuisine Magazine’s Good Food Guide – with five local restaurants featured and two, Embra and The Bistro, winning prestigious two-hat status.
The hui’s free-flow networking format encouraged conversation and collaboration, with opportunities to join operator familiarisation trips.
Following the hui DGLT said the positive response confirme the Lake Taupō Manaakitanga Hui would become an annual fixture in the region’s tourism calendar – bringing industry together, strengthening knowledge, and ensuring every visitor felt manaakitanga so the region kept its status as one of earth's most welcoming places in 2025 as judged by booking.com travellers.