Outlet Podcast: Mat Woods - Regeneration is the destination

Destination Queenstown boss Mat Woods is the guest on this week's Outlet Queenstown podcast, talking about the journey towards a regenerative tourism industry.

Woods and DQ are one of the driving forces behind Queenstown Lakes' destination management plan, which includes the visionary goal of a Carbon Zero tourism industry by 2030, and has created the Love Queenstown initiative.

With podcast host Brent Harbour, he discusses the core objectives of the plan, which was developed during the Covid-19 pandemic and aims to balance sustainability with growth and ensure the visitor economy contributes positively to the district.

He delves into Queenstown's tourism strategy, which is shifting focus to attracting visitors who stay longer and engage more deeply with the community, mitigating some of the environmental impacts, and gives his thoughts on innovative solutions, such as the potential for a gondola connecting downtown to the airport.

And he talks about the upcoming Queenstown Marathon, tourism in general and the standout sticky date pudding at Walter Peak.