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A new destination brand aimed at encouraging visitors to explore more of the Matakana Coast was unveiled at a gathering of tourism and business operators in Matakana last week.
The launch brought together accommodation and hospitality operators, retailers, community organisations and volunteers, along with representatives from Tātaki Auckland Unlimited.
The new brand is built around the theme, “Where one good thing leads to another”, with the invitation “Matakana Coast. See where it leads.”
Matakana Coast Tourism (MCT) general manager Meg Eriksen said the identity was designed to represent the wider area, from Pūhoi to Te Ārai, rather than individual towns or tourism sectors.
“This isn’t a story about one town or one type of tourism experience,” she said. “It belongs to the whole region and all the different people, places and businesses that make it what it is.”
The strategy is intended to encourage visitors to explore beyond their original destination, discover other businesses and attractions and stay longer in the region.
Eriksen said the next challenge would be securing partnerships and investment to put the brand and the region’s wider destination strategy into action.
MCT, a not-for-profit organisation with more than 55 members, wants to strengthen its partnership with the Rodney Local Board and is also seeking support from businesses with an interest in the region, including property developers, real estate businesses and major employers.
“We have the organisation, the relationships, the destination strategy and now a really strong brand and story to work with,” Eriksen said.
“What we don’t yet have is the level of funding required to really activate the opportunity.”
She said the strong turnout at the launch demonstrated the potential for businesses and organisations across the coast to work more closely together.
