Destination Fiordland Inc board chairman Gareth Davis has confirmed the Te Anau-based tourism promotion and marketing agency is transitioning into Great South.

Great South chief executive Graham Budd hopes the transition process could be completed by April 1.

Destination Fiordland is the regional tourism organisation covering Te Anau, Manapouri, Patea / Doubtful Sound, Piopiotahi / Milford Sound and the surrounding regions.

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It has just under 300 members but not every Fiordland business is a member. 

Great South was established as Southland’s regional tourism organisation in 2019 and promotes a much wider territory, including Fiordland, Invercargill, and Gore.

Mr Davis said the merger came out of members’ discussions over the last two to three years about how to better serve the whole Fiordland area.

“One of the positives is, if this is done properly, there will be one organisation representing everybody,” Mr Davis said.

Great South’s shareholders include the Southland District Council, Gore District Council, Invercargill City Council and Environment Southland.

The Southland District Council has previously funded Destination Fiordland and announced in October last year that it would direct that funding to Great South from June this year.

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A meeting was held late last year to decide how to wind up Destination Fiordland, which is an incorporated society.

Destination Fiordland would continue to work with members over the next few months to make sure they were comfortable with the transition and had a clear idea of how the Fiordland region would be marketed.

“From a practical point of view, we need everyone on the same page,” Mr Davis said.

He expected there would be at least one meeting, if not more, before March 30, to wind up Destination Fiordland, make sure everyone understands what is being proposed and allow members to have input into the process, he said.

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Great South chief executive Graham Budd said Great South was in the process of confirming the budgets and current commitments of Destination Fiordland and agreeing a service level contract with Southland District Council. 

“This will confirm the funding available from SDC as well as the core deliverables that Great South will provide. 

“At this stage we are technically planning to assume the responsibility to operate the Fiordland RTO (regional tourism organisation) from the 1st April 2021,” Mr Budd said. 

Great South is planning to schedule informal and formal discussions with Te Anau and Fiordland businesses and community over the next few weeks, Mr Budd said.

“[We] expect to have members of the Great South Tourism and Events team in the region regularly as we transition responsibilities. I will personally also be there before the end of January,” he said. 

Mr Davis said it was Great South’s decision whether it would employ Destination Fiordland’s staff but Mr Budd said the Destination Fiordland board would have to respond to employment matters.

“Until we have the agreement confirmed with SDC we are not able to make firm decisions on the staff or resourcing that we feel will be required, although bringing the two RTOs together means we will be able to utilise the skills and resources of the current Great South team to benefit the whole region,” Mr Budd said.  

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The transition would help improve region-wide promotions, he said.

“Apart from the broader skills and resources of the wider team we also plan to strengthen the tourism messaging and connection between all of Southland and Te Anau/Fiordland. 

“This will be in addition to maintaining the very strong visitor connection that Fiordland has with Queenstown Lakes,” Mr Budd said.  

Mr Budd said the decision to combine the operations of the two organisations was a positive and pragmatic outcome in the current difficult climate.

“We are excited about the opportunity to represent the whole region while maintaining the distinctiveness of the Te Anau and Fiordland proposition through maintaining a separate RTO identity. 

“We think it is a positive and pragmatic outcome in the current difficult environment but we will also be ensuring we are well prepared for future developments and recovery of international markets,” Mr Budd said.