Strategies & Reports

Destination Advisory Board

• Chris Roberts

  

  Chris began his working life as a radio journalist, before moving to Parliament where he worked for the Minister of Tourism.

  After a decade in the energy sector he returned to tourism when he joined Tourism NZ as General Manager Corporate Affairs in 2012.

  In 2014 he was appointed Chief Executive of the national tourism industry association, which changed its name to Tourism Industry Aotearoa in 2016.

  Chris left TIA in early 2022 and is now a tourism consultant and advisor, based in Wellington, working with local and international clients.

• Kate Hines

   

   Kate has been nominated and selected to represent the more youthful voice of the region.

• Mark Button

   

  Mark has been nominated and selected by our local operators as their tourism business representative.

• Mark Frood

  

  Mark has been part of the Central Otago Tourism Advisory Board since its inception in December 2018, and Chair for the last two years.

  He is an independent business consultant, acting General Manager Tourism and Events at Great South and is also a Board member of Eat New Zealand.

  He has had an extensive international career with success in the aviation, tourism travel and trade sectors.

• Shayne Forrest

  

  Shayne has been on the Central Otago Tourism Advisory Board for two years and has family connections to Alexandra having grown up there.

  He is the General Manager of Tourism at Hobbiton™ Movie Set and has a track record of developing and implementing innovative business strategies.

  He is a previous winner of the Young Tourism Export Council Excellence Award and the New Zealand Tourism Award for Emerging Tourism Leader.

   

• Tamah Alley

  

  Tamah is a second term Councillor at CODC.

  Together with her husband and three children, she believes that Central Otago requires a voice for growing families to ensure Central Otago remains progressive, innovative and affordable.

  Formally a police constable, she is passionate about enabling positive outcomes for communities, both urban and rural.

  Environmental sustainability coupled with economic viability and development are those things that she believes are important to successfully grow a region in a way that retains the values of why people live there.

• Tara Druce

  

  Tara is a staunch advocate for a sustainable and regenerative tourism sector led by innovation and insight.

  Based in Alexandra, Tara is the Director of Business Growth and Sustainability for Business South Inc. overseeing the delivery of government contracts in business, workforce and youth development. She is also a ministerial appointee to the Otago Conservation Board and a previous Chair.

  Tara has a background working in public policy and research and, in recent years through her consulting business, has offered professional services in community, tourism and business planning, managing projects at local, regional and national levels.