Latest news with #NicolaGreenwell
RNZ News
09-07-2025
- Sport
- RNZ News
French rugby team turns nose up at Hamilton ahead of test
Samantha Wiria from Hamilton's French cafe Le Rendez-vous Creperie wanted to see her countrymen in her adopted city. Photo: RNZ / Libby Kirkby-McLeod The French rugby team have caused a stir with their decision to go to Auckland after this weekend's test match, staying there before the series finale against the All Blacks in Hamilton on 19 July. Chatting at his store near Garden Place in Hamilton, Hanrad Bespoke Rugs owner Barry Radford said it was disappointing the French team was choosing Auckland over Hamilton. "They've got a sell-out stadium. It would be good if they kind of supported that," he said. However, a rug shopper wondered what Hamilton had to offer. "Is there anything exciting for them to do here? I guess in Auckland they've got lots to do... without being disrespectful to Hamilton," she said. Les Bleus said they are staying in Auckland simply because there they have access to high performance facilities and larger hotels. Yet Hamilton and Waikato Tourism general manager, Nicola Greenwell, said Waikato was the home of lots of high-performance sport. "We've got the velodrome just a hop-skip-and-a-jump from the airport from Hamilton city, the rowing at Karapiro, there's a lot of high-performance sportspeople who are based here." For rugby, she considered the facilities at the Chiefs centre to be first class. "Maybe we didn't want to share that?" she wondered. Harmony Jade from Beast Style Fitness in Hamilton says the city is full of athletes. Photo: Natalie Akoorie Harmony Jade from Beast Style Fitness also thought Hamilton was a great place for athletes. "We are very athletic people. I know that there are so many athletes here in Hamilton," she said. She wondered if the French team even knew much about Hamilton. "I don't think they even know who we are... they shouldn't judge before they get to know who we are." Greenwell said there was plenty of visitor beds in Hamilton for the team but conceded if the whole touring party wanted to stay in one hotel that would limit their options. But she said Hamilton was working on that. "We do have new hotels coming - the Pullman will be opening at the end of next year and that will absolutely be ample room for those French rugby players." Hamilton Business Association chief executive Vanessa Williams said the new Pullman hotel development was exciting for the city and would add to what Hamilton could already offer. "It's going to be very exciting to host bigger and better things," she said. Williams said it was always disappointing to hear about travellers who only go to one place and explore one thing. "I think it's a great opportunity to actually come down and enjoy something different." Hamilton Business Association general manager Vanessa Williams says a new hotel in the city next year will boost bed capacity. Photo: Libby Kirkby-McLeod / RNZ She said there was lots to enjoy in and around Hamilton as a visitor to New Zealand. "But you need to be down here to enjoy them." Hamilton also had a touch of French culture which the French team could have enjoyed. Bordeaux-born Samantha Wiria from Le Rendez-vous Creperie said she had been really looking forward to welcoming the French team to town and having them come in and sample some of their crepes. "We were hopeful that we would see them walking around in the CBD," she said. Despite her disappointment she said she'll still be at the game cheering for the French side. "As much as we are always behind the All Blacks in any game they have, when they play the French we put on the blue, white, red, and support the team." And it's out on the field where locals think the issue will truly be settled. "The team are the losers at the end of the day, and maybe that might be what sets the tone for the game," Greenwell said. Hamilton mayor Paula Southgate said the sweet victory for the city would be when the All Blacks beat the French in Hamilton in the test series finale. Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
Scoop
24-06-2025
- Business
- Scoop
Tourism Events Fund Creates $220 Million Impact For Thermal Explorer Region
Press Release – Hamilton and Waikato Tourism Across all funded events in the Thermal Explorer region, the average out-of-region visitor stayed for 1.9 nights and spent an average of $322 per day, in addition to spending generated by local attendees. 23 June, 2025 A tourism events fund set up after the Covid-19 pandemic has generated $220 million in direct economic impact for communities in the 'Thermal Explorer' regions of Waikato, Rotorua, Taupo and Ruapehu. That's the finding of an economic impact assessment released by the Thermal Explorer Regional Events Fund Investment Management Panel this month, following the completion of the last of the 48 events the fund supported – the Karapiro Marathon – in April. Set up in 2020 to stimulate domestic tourism, the $3.75 million Thermal Explorer Regional Events Fund provided contestable event grants across three separate funding rounds. The events it supported catered for a total audience of 532,468 people, including 249,909 visitors from outside the regions the events were hosted in. 'From sports events and major expos to cultural events and music, food and arts festivals, the fund helped support and invigorate the events sector and communities at a time that help was sorely needed,' said Hamilton & Waikato Tourism General Manager Nicola Greenwell. 'The impact assessment shows the fund generated an impressive $58 return across the region for every dollar of government funding, with a large portion of that coming from visitor spending on things like accommodation, food and visits to local bars and restaurants.' Across all funded events in the Thermal Explorer region, the average out-of-region visitor stayed for 1.9 nights and spent an average of $322 per day, in addition to spending generated by local attendees. 'One of the purposes of the fund was to stimulate domestic visitation so it's a real testament to its success that around half of the people who attended the events it funded came from out of the region,' Greenwell said. Among the funded events was the Sika Show – Australasia's largest hunting and outdoor trade show, attracting more than 10,000 people to Mystery Creek near Hamilton. Sika Show organiser Mike Penn said the funding helped the Sika Show bounce back after Covid-19, primarily by supporting marketing and awareness raising efforts outside the Waikato. 'Without that I don't know if we would have survived; my wife Natalie and I had just taken on the event as a mum and dad team along with John and Jacki Cook a year earlier and then had to cancel both the 2020 and 2021 shows and reschedule the 2022 event because of the Covid-19 pandemic.' Taupō Trail Festival organiser Aaron Carter told a similar story, saying the funding was key to enabling the family-friendly event to get started during a particularly challenging period. 'Without that funding, we wouldn't have done the event,' he said. On its debut in 2024, the Taupō Trail Festival attracted around 2,000 people, with 82% coming from outside the Thermal Explorer Region. It brought around $500,000 in spending to the Taupō region that year, was held again in March 2025, and will return again in 2026. Other popular funded events included the Middle-earth Half Marathon in Hobbiton, the ITM Taupō Super400 motorsport event in Taupō, New Zealand Blues and BBQ Festival in Rotorua and the Ohakune Blues and Roots Festival. Greenwell said in addition to directly supporting events, the fund also enabled creation of resources for event organisers, as well as a multi-year capability building workshop series attended by hundreds of people in event management to up-skill the local event industry. 'Not only has the funding brought some entirely new events to our communities generated significant economic impact for the Thermal Explorer region, but it has also helped build local capability, creating a legacy that will last for decades.' The Thermal Explorer Regional Events Fund was managed collectively through the Event Investment Panel, which is made up of eight representatives from Hamilton & Waikato Tourism, Destination Great Lake Taupō, RotoruaNZ and Visit Ruapehu. It was part of the $50 million Regional Events Fund, set up in 2020 and overseen by the Ministry of Business, Innovation & Employment. At a glance: Thermal Explorer Regional Events Fund impact Direct economic impact: $219,876,859. Total attendance at funded events: 532,468. Out of region attendees: 249,909. Average attendee daily spend: $322. Average length of attendee stay: 1.9 nights. About Hamilton & Waikato Tourism Hamilton & Waikato Tourism is the regional tourism organisation charged with increasing visitor numbers, expenditure and duration of stay in the Waikato region. It leads destination management, destination marketing, business events and conventions, major event coordination and the Thermal Explorer Regional Events Fund for the region. The organisation is funded through a public/private partnership and covers the heartland Waikato areas of Hamilton City, Matamata-Piako, Waikato and Waipā Districts. Find out more at
Scoop
24-06-2025
- Business
- Scoop
Tourism Events Fund Creates $220 Million Impact For Thermal Explorer Region
A tourism events fund set up after the Covid-19 pandemic has generated $220 million in direct economic impact for communities in the 'Thermal Explorer' regions of Waikato, Rotorua, Taupo and Ruapehu. That's the finding of an economic impact assessment released by the Thermal Explorer Regional Events Fund Investment Management Panel this month, following the completion of the last of the 48 events the fund supported – the Karapiro Marathon – in April. Set up in 2020 to stimulate domestic tourism, the $3.75 million Thermal Explorer Regional Events Fund provided contestable event grants across three separate funding rounds. The events it supported catered for a total audience of 532,468 people, including 249,909 visitors from outside the regions the events were hosted in. 'From sports events and major expos to cultural events and music, food and arts festivals, the fund helped support and invigorate the events sector and communities at a time that help was sorely needed,' said Hamilton & Waikato Tourism General Manager Nicola Greenwell. 'The impact assessment shows the fund generated an impressive $58 return across the region for every dollar of government funding, with a large portion of that coming from visitor spending on things like accommodation, food and visits to local bars and restaurants.' Across all funded events in the Thermal Explorer region, the average out-of-region visitor stayed for 1.9 nights and spent an average of $322 per day, in addition to spending generated by local attendees. 'One of the purposes of the fund was to stimulate domestic visitation so it's a real testament to its success that around half of the people who attended the events it funded came from out of the region,' Greenwell said. Among the funded events was the Sika Show – Australasia's largest hunting and outdoor trade show, attracting more than 10,000 people to Mystery Creek near Hamilton. Sika Show organiser Mike Penn said the funding helped the Sika Show bounce back after Covid-19, primarily by supporting marketing and awareness raising efforts outside the Waikato. 'Without that I don't know if we would have survived; my wife Natalie and I had just taken on the event as a mum and dad team along with John and Jacki Cook a year earlier and then had to cancel both the 2020 and 2021 shows and reschedule the 2022 event because of the Covid-19 pandemic.' Taupō Trail Festival organiser Aaron Carter told a similar story, saying the funding was key to enabling the family-friendly event to get started during a particularly challenging period. 'Without that funding, we wouldn't have done the event,' he said. On its debut in 2024, the Taupō Trail Festival attracted around 2,000 people, with 82% coming from outside the Thermal Explorer Region. It brought around $500,000 in spending to the Taupō region that year, was held again in March 2025, and will return again in 2026. Other popular funded events included the Middle-earth Half Marathon in Hobbiton, the ITM Taupō Super400 motorsport event in Taupō, New Zealand Blues and BBQ Festival in Rotorua and the Ohakune Blues and Roots Festival. Greenwell said in addition to directly supporting events, the fund also enabled creation of resources for event organisers, as well as a multi-year capability building workshop series attended by hundreds of people in event management to up-skill the local event industry. 'Not only has the funding brought some entirely new events to our communities generated significant economic impact for the Thermal Explorer region, but it has also helped build local capability, creating a legacy that will last for decades.' The Thermal Explorer Regional Events Fund was managed collectively through the Event Investment Panel, which is made up of eight representatives from Hamilton & Waikato Tourism, Destination Great Lake Taupō, RotoruaNZ and Visit Ruapehu. It was part of the $50 million Regional Events Fund, set up in 2020 and overseen by the Ministry of Business, Innovation & Employment. At a glance: Thermal Explorer Regional Events Fund impact Direct economic impact: $219,876,859. Total attendance at funded events: 532,468. Out of region attendees: 249,909. Average attendee daily spend: $322. Average length of attendee stay: 1.9 nights. About Hamilton & Waikato Tourism Hamilton & Waikato Tourism is the regional tourism organisation charged with increasing visitor numbers, expenditure and duration of stay in the Waikato region. It leads destination management, destination marketing, business events and conventions, major event coordination and the Thermal Explorer Regional Events Fund for the region. The organisation is funded through a public/private partnership and covers the heartland Waikato areas of Hamilton City, Matamata-Piako, Waikato and Waipā Districts. Find out more at
Scoop
05-06-2025
- Business
- Scoop
Taupō Tourism Set To Soar With New International Flights From Hamilton Airport
Press Release – Destination Great Lake Taupo As Taup prepares to welcome more international guests, the community looks forward to sharing its rich cultural heritage and stunning landscapes with a broader audience. The return of international flights to Hamilton Airport after a 13-year hiatus signals a new era of opportunity for the Taupō tourism sector. Starting June 16, Jetstar will operate direct flights between Hamilton and Sydney, followed by services to the Gold Coast commencing June 18. Hamilton Airport is only a 90-minute drive from Taupō—which makes it a convenient gateway for international visitors keen to explore the region. Taupō, most recently crowned one of the earth's most welcoming destinations is now more accessible to Australian tourists seeking everything from rest and relaxation to adventure and adrenaline. Patrick Dault, General Manager of Destination Great Lake Taupō (DGLT) highlighted the ease in accessibility to Taupō: 'How we bring more visitors to the region has always been a critical conversation. With this kind of access, everyone over the ditch can spend less time travelling and more time enjoying everything Taupō has to offer. Another international gateway is definitely a plus. This one, on the very steps of Taupō ensures visitors can land in the mighty Waikato and make the most of their experience in Taupō and other regions within the central north island' Nicola Greenwell, Chief Executive at Hamilton & Waikato Tourism, exclaimed 'we are thrilled to be welcoming the new Jetstar flights directly into to Hamilton. The mighty Waikato has many great visitor experiences on offer and our tourism operators, hospitality and retail businesses are ready to welcome manuhiri from Australia. These flights mean our Aussie mates have easier access to visit the central north island, after exploring the mighty Waikato of course!' The refurbished terminal now includes full border control, a new duty-free store, and a café, enhancing the travel experience for incoming tourists. Mark Morgan, Chief Executive of Waikato Regional Airport Ltd, emphasised the broader regional benefits: 'This is the beginning of a huge opportunity. The benefits for the entire region—not just passengers—are significant.' As Taupō prepares to welcome more international guests, the community looks forward to sharing its rich cultural heritage and stunning landscapes with a broader audience. About Destination Great Lake Taupō: Destination Great Lake Taupō is the Regional Tourism Organisation responsible for promoting the Taupō region as a visitor destination. The organisation works to increase visitation, length of stay, and visitor spending in the region.
Scoop
05-06-2025
- Business
- Scoop
Taupō Tourism Set To Soar With New International Flights From Hamilton Airport
The return of international flights to Hamilton Airport after a 13-year hiatus signals a new era of opportunity for the Taupō tourism sector. Starting June 16, Jetstar will operate direct flights between Hamilton and Sydney, followed by services to the Gold Coast commencing June 18. Hamilton Airport is only a 90-minute drive from Taupō—which makes it a convenient gateway for international visitors keen to explore the region. Taupō, most recently crowned one of the earth's most welcoming destinations is now more accessible to Australian tourists seeking everything from rest and relaxation to adventure and adrenaline. Patrick Dault, General Manager of Destination Great Lake Taupō (DGLT) highlighted the ease in accessibility to Taupō: 'How we bring more visitors to the region has always been a critical conversation. With this kind of access, everyone over the ditch can spend less time travelling and more time enjoying everything Taupō has to offer. Another international gateway is definitely a plus. This one, on the very steps of Taupō ensures visitors can land in the mighty Waikato and make the most of their experience in Taupō and other regions within the central north island' Nicola Greenwell, Chief Executive at Hamilton & Waikato Tourism, exclaimed 'we are thrilled to be welcoming the new Jetstar flights directly into to Hamilton. The mighty Waikato has many great visitor experiences on offer and our tourism operators, hospitality and retail businesses are ready to welcome manuhiri from Australia. These flights mean our Aussie mates have easier access to visit the central north island, after exploring the mighty Waikato of course!' The refurbished terminal now includes full border control, a new duty-free store, and a café, enhancing the travel experience for incoming tourists. Mark Morgan, Chief Executive of Waikato Regional Airport Ltd, emphasised the broader regional benefits: "This is the beginning of a huge opportunity. The benefits for the entire region—not just passengers—are significant." As Taupō prepares to welcome more international guests, the community looks forward to sharing its rich cultural heritage and stunning landscapes with a broader audience. About Destination Great Lake Taupō: Destination Great Lake Taupō is the Regional Tourism Organisation responsible for promoting the Taupō region as a visitor destination. The organisation works to increase visitation, length of stay, and visitor spending in the region.
