Destinate NZ

Destinate NZ Our passion is developing creative strategies and practical advice to help place your business on the list.

Est. 2015 | Owned by Michelle Caldwell | Your Partner in Tourism Success | Passion meets Performance -Helping your business stand out and scale up | NZ’s hottest weekly podcast - The Tourism Chat Show Destinate NZ offers a unique full marketing & sales solution for tourism SMEs and business owners who have a desire to be the best, yet are often too busy keeping the operation running to have a marketing focus.

Can totally vouch for this! Winter is magical out on the lake and the Western Bays are something quite spectacular! 😍
12/06/2026

Can totally vouch for this! Winter is magical out on the lake and the Western Bays are something quite spectacular! 😍

Next week, seven Lake Taupō businesses will come together at MEETINGS with a shared goal – showcasing the incredible ran...
12/06/2026

Next week, seven Lake Taupō businesses will come together at MEETINGS with a shared goal – showcasing the incredible range of business events experiences our region has to offer.

Over two days, we’ll take part in 63 scheduled appointments, along with plenty of networking opportunities and impromptu discussions, sharing how our businesses can work together to create memorable conferences, incentives, meetings and events.

What I love most about this group is that while we’re all there to represent our own businesses, we also recognise that we’re stronger together. We’ll be talking accommodation (Wairakei Resort Taupo & Tongariro Lodge), event services (Get Set Event Hire) and unforgettable experiences (Taupo Sailing Adventures, Tongariro River Rafting, Taupo International Motorsport Park, Hukafalls Jet) so we’re able to give organisers confidence that Taupō can deliver a seamless programme from start to finish.

Business events are rarely about just one supplier. They’re about finding the right combination of people, places and experiences to create something special.

Personally, I’m incredibly proud to have been entrusted with coordinating this group of passionate operators. Bringing together businesses that share a genuine commitment to delivering outstanding experiences is one of the most rewarding parts of what I do.

Because sometimes, 1 + 1 really does equal way more.

We’re looking forward to some great conversations, new connections, and the opportunity to show why it really is awesome to Meet in the Middle.

Come and see us on Stand 68/69!

Business Events Industry Aotearoa

05/06/2026

Tourism moves fast.

Flights. Campaigns. Trade shows. Deadlines.

But every now and then it’s worth taking a moment to slow down and listen to the waves.

That’s often when the best ideas arrive.

One of the biggest myths in tourism is that becoming trade ready automatically leads to bookings.It doesn't.In fact, man...
03/06/2026

One of the biggest myths in tourism is that becoming trade ready automatically leads to bookings.

It doesn't.

In fact, many tourism businesses stop at exactly the point where the real work begins.

They create a trade rate, develop a fact sheet, attend a trade show, meet a few buyers, and then wait for the bookings to roll in.

But the travel trade doesn't work like that.

Trade success isn't built on a single meeting, a rates sheet, or being listed in a brochure. It's built on relationships, consistency, trust, and staying visible long after the contract is signed.

The most successful operators understand the difference between being trade ready and being trade active.

They follow up. They keep in touch. They provide updates. They host familiarisations. They train agents. They make it easy for their partners to sell with confidence.

And that's why they're the businesses that get recommended time and time again.

After almost 30 years working in tourism sales and marketing, I've seen this pattern play out countless times. The good news? You don't need hundreds of trade partners to succeed. You simply need the right relationships and a plan to nurture them.

I've explored this topic in my latest blog:

Trade Ready vs Trade Active: Why Most Tourism Operators Stop Too Soon

Read the full article : Link in comments

Have you found building trade relationships harder or slower than you expected? I'd love to hear about your experiences in the comments.

What does 20 years of restoration look like?In this episode of The Tourism Chat Show, I chat with Aimee from Cape Sanctu...
26/05/2026

What does 20 years of restoration look like?

In this episode of The Tourism Chat Show, I chat with Aimee from Cape Sanctuary - a 2,500-hectare private conservation project on the Cape Kidnappers Peninsula in Hawke’s Bay.

We talk takahē, kiwi, penguin tracks, seabirds, sand dunes, volunteers, private conservation, and the huge vision behind this extraordinary place.

Cape Sanctuary has already helped bring 23 locally extinct species back to the peninsula, planted more than one million native trees, and built a volunteer community of over 200 passionate people.

And now, the next chapter is beginning - with carefully considered tourism experiences being explored on the Ocean Beach side of Cape Sanctuary.

This is a conversation about hope, patience, biodiversity, and what can happen when a community commits to a vision much bigger than itself.

Listen now on The Tourism Chat Show.

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/3rNBPvIfsXuCcMzG8stq3v?si=nufqIb6SRTm_4zvSXMFo1Q

Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/nz/podcast/the-tourism-chat-show/id1525303180?i=1000769684616

Online: https://www.podbean.com/ew/pb-qneyz-1ad238c

25/05/2026

Waiting for the cloud to lift…..and it did!

Hosting a post-TRENZ famil and playing with my camera!

Today I had the absolute privilege of visiting , hosted by the wonderfully passionate and knowledgeable .pitcher, who sh...
23/05/2026

Today I had the absolute privilege of visiting , hosted by the wonderfully passionate and knowledgeable .pitcher, who showed me around this spectacular conservation estate.

And wow - what a place.

We saw takahē, fresh kiwi and penguin tracks, seabird nesting areas, regenerated native bush, sand dunes, incredible views, and three nurseries growing the next generation of trees ready for planting.

We also saw many midden sites - ancient places that tell stories of the people who lived, gathered, cooked and cared for this land long before us.

Established in 2006, Cape Sanctuary began with a local family’s ambition to help rewrite the future for Hawke’s Bay’s declining birdlife. Through habitat restoration, pest control and the translocation of endangered species back to the peninsula, it has become something truly special.

And now, with the next phase focused on seabird species, there is even more to come.

This is going to be a tourism gem in the very near future.

Watch this space.

An absolute joy to be at representing some incredible Taupō businesses! We’ve had some great conversations and wins al...
20/05/2026

An absolute joy to be at representing some incredible Taupō businesses!
We’ve had some great conversations and wins already - can’t wait to see what our final day brings!

19/05/2026

What an absolutely epic start to - was so good!

Absolute cracker day to host the pre-TRENZ famil at
15/05/2026

Absolute cracker day to host the pre-TRENZ famil at

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Taupo

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Tuesday 8:30am - 5:30pm
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Thursday 8:30am - 5:30pm
Friday 8:30am - 5:30pm

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