Tourism mogul says Paul doesn't have necessary background

1.00pm

Rotorua tourism mogul Doug Tamaki says businesswoman Suzanne Paul does not have the tourism background needed to succeed with her latest venture.

Ms Paul is running Maori cultural theatrical show Rawaka, near Auckland harbour.

Launched less than three months ago, it was struggling to pay its bills and win support from members of the Maori community.

Last month it was revealed contractors were owed $130,000 for developing Rawaka.

Ms Paul has remortgaged a British property to pay Rawaka's debts and her East Auckland mansion is for sale.

The controversial venture was dealt another blow last week when its general manager Graeme West resigned.

Mr Tamaki, a director with the Tamaki Group, which operates such businesses as Tamaki Maori Village and The Realm of Tane, said he was unsurprised to hear the venture was in trouble.

"A lot of people think running a tourism business is easy from the outside. Michael Hill opened a shoe shop and it fell over.

Suzanne should stick to knitting," he said.

"Tourism is our forte and that's what we'll continue to do because we know we do it best."

Earlier this year, Mr Tamaki and his brother Mike embarked on a new tourism venture with Queenstown-based Dart Wilderness Adventures.

The pair also have plans to open a cultural centre in Christchurch. The $6.5 million Tamaki Historic Village will be built next to the Ferrymead Historic Village. The company had planned to open the site by the end of this year but was now revising dates.

Meanwhile, Doug Tamaki is scotching suggestions he is one of 35 candidates standing under Destiny New Zealand's banner at next year's general election.

He was named at number 23 on the party's list during its national conference in Auckland on Saturday but was now too busy to be a candidate.

His involvement with the party was limited to helping develop its business policy, he said.

Last month the party angered Tauranga residents after they received recorded phone messages, urging them to attend a Destiny NZ meeting.

The party bought the phone numbers off Telecom but residents described the tactic as an invasion of privacy.

Doug Tamaki said "phone spam" was a legitimate marketing ploy used by many businesses.

- DAILY POST (ROTORUA)