Outlet Podcast: New RealNZ boss on recovery and growth
Post-Covid recovery continues for businesses in Queenstown's tourism sector, says RealNZ new boss Dave Beeche.
Beeche took the reins of the Queenstown and Fiordland tourism giant late last year, overseeing a diverse portfolio that includes the historic TSS Earnslaw, Milford Sound experiences and the Cardrona Alpine Resort skifield. He replaced Stephen England-Hall.
Speaking to Brent Harbour on this week's Outlet Queenstown Podcast, Beeche says his short-term priority for RealNZ is to finish its post-Covid recovery.
"The tourism sector is nearly back post-Covid. Everyone wants to stop talking about Covid, naturally, as I do, but we're still getting back to full capacity as a sector. So, I think that's the first cab off the rank is getting back to full operation effectiveness and efficiency."
Labour shortages and housing for workers have been the post-Covid challenges but he hopes the industry will now find some normality, "although those are risky words these days with all the geopolitical changes in the world and climate change, etc."
He believes there could be one more year until guest numbers are at the level they were in 2019. He says the US market this last 12 months was huge, the Australians came back in force, and Europe was strong, but the Asia market still has a way to go.
"We're hoping next summer is going to get us there," he says. "There's push up and growth but you've got to counter that with the challenges, the cost of living crisis around the work, and costs of travel etc. I'm optimistic but cautious about the coming summers ahead."
Beyond that, the goal as always for RealNZ is to help people to fall in love with conservation.
"We've been operating at the apex of tourism and the environment and conservation for 70 years now, and so continuing to explore that meeting point and develop and deliver great experiences that appeal to not only our international guests, but the domestic market as well is going to be a core focus for me and the business."
Working includes trapping programmes in Fiordland and Treble Cone, the deforestation of Walter Peak, and fundraising initiatives, including the Les Hutchins Conservation Ball, which raises tens of thousands of dollars towards reintroducing the Takahe into the Greenstone Valley.
In terms of the Milford Opportunities Project, he believes the sector is aligned around continuous improvement in Milford Sound. A paper will be presented to Cabinet in the coming months, with a recommendation from the Conservation and Tourism Ministers.
"We've had a sort of advisory role with the Milford Opportunities Project over the last six months, helping give an operator's perspective as to what it's like to operate in there and make sure that some of the ideas that have been proposed people understand the practical implications of them.
"I think everyone is aligned that growth is not necessarily a bad thing. We can continue to grow visitor numbers in there, as long as it's done in a sustainable manner and one that preserves that guest experience."
Beeche, who received a CNZM in the latest New Year Honours for services to sports administration, was the chief executive of FIFA Women's World Cup Australia - New Zealand 2023.
Before that, he was managing director of Ironman Oceania, CEO of Lagardere Unlimited Oceania, and CEO of Triathlon World Champs 2012 and Triathlon New Zealand. During that time, he was one of the brains behind the creation of the Queenstown Marathon, which launched in 2014.
He says there are many parallels between the major events sector and tourism.
"They're really both all about designing and delivering great customer experiences, both service, people-orientated sectors," he says. "And one of the things I loved about working in the events sector was the great people it attracts - the type of people that go all in, they live their life through work."
He says it's been easy to settle into Queenstown. "It's even more beautiful than I remembered working here when I first established the Queenstown Marathon. So I must admit the transition here has been pretty seamless!"
Beeche believes there's still plenty of room for Queenstown to grow, however, as long as it can keep up to pace with transport and infrastructure.
"I think New Zealanders' perception of what's crowded is quite different than the rest of the world's, you know? I mean, you might have seen what's going on in Barcelona at the moment, all the protests against over-tourism.
"That's going to be an issue that the world's going to have to have to grapple with in all the key tourist destinations. I think New Zealand's miles off those kind of visitor numbers, which are really going to affect the way of life for people in there.
"My read on Queenstown as a community is that it embraces tourism, but we've just got to keep looking to remove those pain points as we continue to grow."
