Businesses tackle tourism puzzle

Raising the Bar committee members Kay Clarke (right) and Yumiko Kawano want the city's businesses to help put the Rotorua puzzle together. Photo/Stephen Parker

A group set up to help Rotorua hospitality providers "raise the bar" want all Rotorua businesses to help put the Rotorua puzzle together, literally.

Almost two weeks ago the Rotorua Daily Post helped launch the Raising the Bar initiative which is being led by a group of passionate Rotorua residents to help raise service standards in the city and make Rotorua the best place in the country for friendly, efficient and high-level service standards.

Involved with the new group are the Rotorua Cuisine Co-operative, led by Lone Star director Andy Allan, business broker Heinz Fett of ABC Business Sales, Mike Steiner of the Inner City Focus Group and Kay Clarke and Yumiko Kawano of Stay and Play New Zealand Tourism Connections.

They have also been joined by Rotorua district councillor and Inner City Revitalisation portfolio leader Karen Hunt, Hilda Duffy of Salon St Bruno, Lin Schaeffers of Picnic Cafe and Sabine Willemsen of Mountain Jade/Out of New Zealand.

But, before they launch into a series of initiatives such as industry workshops and reviews they want to make sure everyone in the hospitality, retail and service industries wants to fit into the "Rotorua puzzle".

Raising the Bar spokesman Heinz Fett said the Rotorua puzzle was all about fitting Rotorua businesses into the big picture.

"It's designed for people to identify they are part of the bigger picture so we need everybody to make it work. We have workshops confirmed for early July, but that information will be announced at the meet and greet in June," he said.

Stay and Play New Zealand Tourism Connections managing director Kay Clarke said the concept was to make all Rotorua businesses fit into the Rotorua puzzle. "We will give everyone a piece of a puzzle so they can all complete the picture of Rotorua and invite them to contribute their piece to complete the picture."

She said the group planned to hand-deliver as many puzzle pieces as possible to local business in the coming weeks.

"We've also had a good response from the first article, especially from the accommodation-related hospitality sector and from restaurants," she said.

The Raising the Bar initiative will get under way at a meet and greet to be held in the Rotorua District Council Chamber from 5.30pm on June 16. It will also update interested locals on the progress made - and some exciting future initiatives - of the Inner City Focus Group.

Anyone interested in Raising the Bar should contact Kay Clarke at kay@stayandplay.com.