Enhancing New Zealand cultural visitor experiences leading to and beyond the Rugby World Cup 2011 Report from the Regional Cultural Tourism Workshop Programme 2009 for the Ministry for Culture and Heritage September 2009 John Leuthart and Tim Walker Enhancing New Zealand cultural visitor experiences leading to and beyond the Rugby World Cup 2011 Page 2 Report from the Regional Cultural Tourism Workshop Programme 2009 for the Ministry for Culture and Heritage Contents Creating an enduring legacy 3 Purpose of this report 5 Overview of project and recommendations 6 Context 9 Regional workshops inform the recommendations 12 Highlights of the regional workshops 14 Strategic opportunities 16 Bibliography 20 Appendix 1: Gathering and evaluating the information 21 Appendix 2: Regions participating in the workshops 22 Appendix 3: Stakeholders 23 Appendix 4: Rugby World Cup 2011 Match Schedule 24 Appendix 5: Sample outline of regional workshop presentations 26 Appendix 6: Summary presentation from workshop programme 27 Enhancing New Zealand cultural visitor experiences leading to and beyond the Rugby World Cup 2011 Page 3 Report from the Regional Cultural Tourism Workshop Programme 2009 for the Ministry for Culture and Heritage Creating an enduring legacy I hope the biggest gains from Rugby World Cup 2011 will be a greater understanding of the idea of partnership; how people can work together...and New Zealanders’ greater awareness of and pride in our culture. —Martin Sneddon, CEO, Rugby Cup New Zealand 2011 Ltd Enhancing New Zealand cultural visitor experiences leading to and beyond the Rugby World Cup 2011 Page 4 Report from the Regional Cultural Tourism Workshop Programme 2009 for the Ministry for Culture and Heritage Our unique New Zealand cultures have the power to create the kind of world-class experiences our visitors are increasingly looking for. Our country and each region is distinct. So as well as focusing on identifying existing world class products, by enhancing, growing and developing the cultural products and experiences that reveal a region’s distinctiveness—while ensuring regional differentiation—we add greater value, attract more visitors, increase spend and generate greater experiences for visitors—including our people, New Zealanders. —John Leuthart and Tim Walker, Project Facilitators Enhancing New Zealand cultural visitor experiences leading to and beyond the Rugby World Cup 2011 Page 5 Report from the Regional Cultural Tourism Workshop Programme 2009 for the Ministry for Culture and Heritage Purpose of this report This report documents the New Zealand Regional Cultural Tourism Workshop programme during 2009. It highlights the key outcomes and opportunities from the workshops with recommendations for the Ministry for Culture and Heritage and its stakeholders. Enhancing New Zealand cultural visitor experiences leading to and beyond the Rugby World Cup 2011 Page 6 Report from the Regional Cultural Tourism Workshop Programme 2009 for the Ministry for Culture and Heritage Overview of project and recommendations The Rugby World Cup 2011 (RWC2011) is being hosted The Ministry for Culture and Heritage believes that cultural organisa- by New Zealand. This major international event tions and businesses can benefit greatly from a more strategic engage- ment with the tourism market and reflects this belief in its cultural provides an opportunity for the culture and tourism tourism project. As such, RWC2011 provides an unparalleled opportu- sectors to establish relationships that endure beyond nity to: • assess cultural organisations and businesses’ current operational the tournament. In essence, the aim is to work with and attitudinal readiness including quality of product/experience regions and organisations to provide a world-class for providing world-class cultural tourism experiences event across New Zealand. • consider any issues that affect the sector’s ability to leverage value from major events and (international and domestic) tourism in gen- eral The project aims to foster relationships between cultural businesses and organisations and the tourism sector that will endure up to and beyond RWC2011. These relationships will act as a benchmark for partnership models to enhance and/or develop, package, market and leverage our distinctive cultural products and experiences, regionally, nationally and internationally. Enhancing New Zealand cultural visitor experiences leading to and beyond the Rugby World Cup 2011 Page 7 Report from the Regional Cultural Tourism Workshop Programme 2009 for the Ministry for Culture and Heritage Programme of regional workshops Highlights of the workshops In June and July 2009, a programme of regional workshops was under- The workshops highlighted the following. taken in eight regions that are hosting games. Participants included • Regions are at different stages of thinking and development about cultural, tourism and sport leaders as well as representatives from the cultural product and experiences they will deliver, both within local government, regional economic development and so on. cultural organisations and working collectively as a sector group. • The cultural sector needs more information about RWC2011 to in- The objectives of the workshops were to: form their decision making and knowledge about what others in the • stimulate relationships that will endure up to and beyond the region are doing so they can improve how they engage with each RWC2011 other. • identify opportunities to collaborate and develop an enhanced • In a number of regions RWC2011 regional groups and co-ordinators product leading up to the RWC2011 and beyond are providing a positive model and driver for powerful working col- • present opportunities and benefits of having a co-ordinated ap- lectively and regional showcasing. proach to building capacity in cultural tourism. • RWC2011 provides a major catalyst for cultural organisations and business to enhance and develop new and current products that are See Context on page 7 and Regional workshops inform the recommenda- world class in quality. Regional and national partnerships can be tions on page 10 for more information. developed and showcased as world-class New Zealand models. • Regions are developing themes for cultural tourism that are region- ally-specific and in some areas without a real sense of what other regions, groups and organisations are doing, risking a national homogeneity rather than a ‘more-than-the-sum-of-its-parts’ differ- entiated New Zealand cultural experience. See Highlights of the regional workshops on page 12 for more information. Enhancing New Zealand cultural visitor experiences leading to and beyond the Rugby World Cup 2011 Page 8 Report from the Regional Cultural Tourism Workshop Programme 2009 for the Ministry for Culture and Heritage Strategic opportunities and recommendations The outcomes of the workshops and background research identified Our recommendations for the Ministry for Culture and Heritage to some strategic opportunities and recommendations. The recommenda- consider following discussion with regional groups are to: tions reflect the need to: 1. develop a specialist team to work alongside RWC2011 and the • Identify existing products and experiences that are world class (or Showcase NZ Office 2011 to ensure national and regional strategies near-world class) as benchmark case studies to act as development and developments including cultural products and experiences are paths for others to learn from, adapt or follow supported within a co-ordinated national framework • ensure New Zealand cultural tourism products, experiences and 2. assess New Zealand arts, cultural, heritage products to establish packages are developed that assert distinctive city, regional and a showcase of benchmark products and services to assist in the national focuses that collectively add up to a well-orchestrated, development of world-class, distinctive products and visitor experi- differentiated, cohesive national offer. ences leading to and beyond RWC2011 . • take a strategic multi-party approach to ongoing product develop- ment, packaging, marketing and leveraging across the New Zealand 3. establish a cultural product development taskforce to review and where cultural tourism sector is showcased, modelled and promoted. necessary and recommend development options for product, market- ing, research and branding strategies, as a consequence of the above. • ensure the Ministry actions build transformative capability, by pro- viding professional development opportunities for current and future 4. develop product development case studies to demonstrate the strategic leaders within the cultural sector. multiple benefits for the region and New Zealand beyond 2011 and model development strategies as an essential component and out- come of the RWC2011 legacy. 5. Establish a group of sector staff to build long-term sector capability in strategic approaches to and development of world-class cultural tourism products. See Strategic opportunities on page 14 for more information about the purpose and the expected outcomes for each recommendation. Enhancing New Zealand cultural visitor experiences leading to and beyond the Rugby World Cup 2011 Page 9 Report from the Regional Cultural Tourism Workshop Programme 2009 for the Ministry for Culture and Heritage Context The Rugby World Cup is the third-largest sports event in The potential social and cultural benefits from hosting the Rugby the world. With New Zealand hosting the Rugby World World Cup are significant.