S.E Asian tourism entrepreneur inspired by NZ's connections to land and culture

Joseph: "It was immensely inspiring for me to see and experience indigenous culture in such a holistic way in Rotorua."

Most visitors to the Philippines go for our pristine islands and beaches, but I believe the best of my country lies within its people and culture.

Since 2012, I have been organising food tours, historical walks and cultural immersions with my company Culture Shock PH. We advocate for the appreciation and preservation of Filipino culture, heritage, and history through guided tours around the country, something that few tour operators engage in even to this day.

I was thrilled at the opportunity to visit New Zealand and learn about its tourism industry; New Zealand is, after all, a top-notch tourist destination.

Yet, I realised I knew little about the country except for its gorgeous natural landscapes, and it being the home of The Lord of the Rings.

I was eager to find out more and the promise of being introduced to key tourism stakeholders such as business owners, civic leaders, and government official was too good to pass up. There was also the added benefit of going with other tourism entrepreneurs from Southeast Asia who were about my age.

Visiting Hobbiton in Matamata, Waikato

One of the highlights of the programme was our visit to Rotorua.

As a cultural entrepreneur, I truly looked forward to learning about Māori culture. In Rotorua, this aspect was put front and centre.

We learned about Māori myths and legends that pertained to the city’s natural geography, visited geothermal sites significant to local iwi in the area, and savoured traditional indigenous food through an immersive cultural show.

I felt that the city’s branding as the capital of Māori culture was successfully communicated — there was a good mix of tourism touchpoints: natural sites, stories, songs, dances, food, and people.

I also saw how iwi are adapting to modern development, such as in the case of Wai Ariki, a modern luxury spa that integrated the geothermal sites the city is known for with healing practices grounded in Māori philosophy.

It was immensely inspiring for me to see and experience indigenous culture in such a holistic way in Rotorua. The cherry on top of our visit there was meeting the mayor, Tania Tapsell, a fellow young leader who is at the helm of the city’s continuous progress.

Visiting Te Papa gave the group a in-depth overview of New Zealand society, history and culture

I was struck by three related aspects to the tourism industry of New Zealand: the focus on indigenous culture, the use of the Māori language, and the emphasis on values as driving forces in the industry.

The moment I arrived in New Zealand, I could immediately tell I was in New Zealand. The greetings and signages were in English as well as in te reo Māori.

As I explored the country, I noticed that important places such as buildings and offices have Māori names. I also observed that  "kia ora" was not just a greeting at the airport and tourist sites, but it was also used by many of the people we encountered.

One of the most recognizable icons of the country in the international stage, the All Blacks team, uses the silver fern as its banner and its members are famous for performing the sacred haka at the beginning of their games.

The entrepreneurs visited the All Blacks Rugby Experience in Auckland and learned about the team and its importance in New Zealand culture

There were also businesses that leaned into Māori culture by incorporating native philosophies and practices such as prayer, karakia, into their day-to-day operations.

Even adventure-related attractions like EcoZip Adventures trained their guides to tell the story of native flora and fauna and share them with the guests.

Throughout the country, there seemed to be a strong awareness of sustainability and environmental protection. The country enforces strict biosecurity laws as a way to safeguard the vulnerable biodiversity.

It was refreshing to encounter institutions like Zealandia who, without shortage of ambition, aim to restore some parts of the country to its state before humans arrived in the archipelago.

Visitors are also educated on how best to take part in this protection, as exemplified by the advocacy promoted by the Tiaki Promise.

Joseph was impressed by Zealandia's commitment to restoring New Zealand's biodiversity

If I were to try and distil everything I gained through my participation at the YBLI tourism programme, it would come down to two Rs: rootedness and relationships.

I saw how deeply rooted Aotearoa is in its identity. It moves forward with a conscious recognition of its history, which is manifested in the policies and values upheld by its people.

In my brief visit to New Zealand, I was able to grasp this sense of rootedness, which I believe is what is responsible for the country’s unique presentation of itself. I am bringing this philosophy with me in my work promoting Filipino culture.

The Asia New Zealand Foundation’s mission of fostering relationships truly shone in the YBLI programme. Throughout the week, I found myself building connections — with my fellow entrepreneurs, the members of the Foundation, and the people we met.

While networking is a common business practice around the world, I appreciated how the programme made an effort in facilitating high quality connections for us. We met with business owners, general managers, civic and government leaders — people who are in the best positions to show us the bigger picture as well as engage in potential partnerships with our respective ventures.

Joseph: "... I appreciated how the programme made an effort in facilitating high quality connections for us."

To say that traveling with fellow tourism entrepreneurs and business owners was fun is an understatement.

It was a precious thing to experience Aotearoa New Zealand with people who share the same background and general interest as myself.

We were all in the same age bracket, engaging in tourism ventures in our own countries in Southeast Asia.

On so many levels we understood each other, having similar purposes through our companies as well as facing many similar challenges.

Being with each other for a whole week, from breakfast to dinner — to the occasional post-dinner drinks — truly forged a bond among us that the usual business networking program could only hope for.

I dare speak for my batch when I say that the YBLI programme is decidedly one of the best out there. It is an honour and a privilege to have been part of it.

The Foundation's entrepreneurship programme supports emerging New Zealand entrepreneurs to build connections and facilitate business relationships in Asia and supports Asian entrepreneurs to build connections in New Zealand.

The ASEAN Young Business Leaders Initiative (YBLI) is a key part of the New Zealand Government’s ASEAN strategy. The aim of the programme is to facilitate trade and build connections between business leaders and entrepreneurs in New Zealand and Southeast Asia. This is achieved through short, targeted visits to New Zealand and Southeast Asia for ASEAN entrepreneurs and Kiwi entrepreneurs respectively.