Kylie Ruwhiu-Karawana

Kylie Ruwhiu-Karawana

Managing Director | Dunedin, New Zealand

Kylie is a tourism marketing specialist with extensive knowledge of international and regional trade marketing, visitor strategy development, event management, stakeholder relationship management and small business management.

After more than 20 years working in the tourism sector, in both the public and private spheres, Kylie has built up enviable general knowledge of New Zealand and global tourism in general. But her true passion and expertise is in values-based tourism, specifically Māori and Indigenous tourism experiences.

Kylie’s collaborative ethos in working with people and communities to achieve goals led her to develop a training methodology to assist Māori and non-Māori operators in creating narrative and stories that work for their experience and audience

Strengths

  • Driving value-based tourism propositions incorporating storytelling and tikanga Māori

  • Stakeholder relationship management and iwi consultation.
  • Visitor experience development that makes the most of the place, people, stories and interpretation, and aligns them to the right market.

Project Highlights

  • Blue Mountains Destination Management Plan

  • Hurunui Destination Management Plan

  • Wairarapa Destination Management Plan
  • Wairarapa Māori Tourism Development Strategy
  • Tairāwhiti Destination Management Plan
  • Kapiti Gateway Feasibility Report
  • Otatara Visitor Experience
  • Ngā Ara Tipuna Business Case
  • Ngā Ara Tipuna Business Plan
  • The Kāpiti Coast District Coast Destination Management Plan
  • Porirua Visitor Plan
  • Whanganui Destination Management Plan
  • Cycle Gisborne Qualmark Assessment
  • Wairarapa Destination Management Plan
  • Kāpiti Coast Destination Management Plan
  • Good to Great – Maunga Hikurangi
  • Good to Great – Dive Tatapouri
  • Good to Great – Gisborne Railbikes
  • Eastwood hill Experience Assessment
  • Maraetaha Estate Strategic Directions
  • Porirua Visitor Action Group Facilitation