New CEO for Tourism New Zealand
Tourism New Zealand has appointed Kevin Bowler – currently CEO for start-up Yahoo!Xtra – as its new CEO.
Yahoo!Xtra is a JV between Yahoo!7 and Telecom.
Tourism NZ chairman Greg Muir said that interest in the role had been strong with an impressive lineup of candidates.
“There was a great deal of interest in this role both from within New Zealand and offshore which is a mark of the reputation that Tourism New Zealand has established,†Muir said.
Prior to Yahoo!Xtra, Bowler spent several years with Telecom, and worked in consumer goods marketing and general management both in NZ with Unilever and NZ Dairy Foods and in the UK with Rank Hovis McDougall Foods.
He will take up his new role in early January, replacing George Hickton, who has gone out on a high note after Tourism NZ came out on top in a survey asking tourism organisations from around the world to rank the best destination brands.
The survey, published by the United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) and European Travel Commission (ETC) asked 165 NTOs what countries they considered to be good at destination branding.
New Zealand received the most nominations, ranking the country as ‘best’ at destination branding – ahead of India, Spain, Australia, Dubai and Ireland.
Hickton said that, coming in the same year as the 10th anniversary of 100% Pure New Zealand, the survey was a fantastic reinforcement of the effort and perseverance that has gone into building the brand.
Survey respondents cited the consistency and credibility of 100% Pure New Zealand. They said the strong imagery of the campaign, the instantly recognisable brand and the strong positioning statement (“100% Pureâ€) set New Zealand ahead of other destinations.
Ian Jarrett
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