Reserved Kiwis encouraged to embrace tourism

By ELEANOR BLACK

We may think we are a friendly bunch, but a tourism expert believes New Zealanders could make visitors feel a lot more welcome.

Dame Mary Peters, Olympic gold pentathalete and deputy chairwoman of the Northern Ireland Tourist Board, says our international marketing is on the right track but a lot more could be done to make visitors feel more welcome.

"Kiwis are reserved. I think it's because they haven't met as many people from different countries and cultures. I don't think it comes from a sense of inferiority. I think they don't know how to react."

In Rotorua to attend the national tourism conference, Dame Mary said New Zealand hospitality staff tended to view their work as "just a job". In Northern Ireland everyone - from the man in the street to the man in the pub - went out of their way to make visitors comfortable.

It was this natural charm that drew people back for further tours, she said.

Northern Ireland has a population of just 1.5 million but attracts about 1.6 million visitors annually, about the same as New Zealand. And like New Zealand, it is a small, green nation with a rich heritage and many scenic attractions.

After years of battling a poor international image due to religious conflict, Northern Ireland became a desirable destination following the 1995 ceasefire. Tourists come mostly from Britain, followed by America, Australia and New Zealand, and Europe.

Dame Mary, who won the pentathlon at the Munich Games, said the same qualities that attracted tourists to Ireland could be found here, although Britons and Europeans tended to view New Zealand as expensive and too far away for a holiday.

"They see the distance as a great barrier but it only takes a day to get here and then there's so much to do."