Tourism New Zealand has appointed a new chief executive, René de Monchy.

René has been a member of the Tourism New Zealand executive team for over five years and has been interim chief executive for the past few months - “a uniquely challenging time for the sector and the organisation”, Tourism New Zealand board chair Jamie Tuuta said.

“René is a strong advocate for working with government and the sector to ensure that it enriches Aotearoa and this will be particularly important as borders start to open,” Jamie said.

He said Tourism New Zealand continues to have a firm focus on encouraging domestic visitation to support New Zealand’s recovery. News of quarantine free travel with Australia about to open up means the team is working with the sector to get Australians booking and to ensure that the industry is ‘Australia ready’, he added.

The organisation is also working to keep New Zealand’s brand alive in other core markets for the eventual return of overseas visitors.

“Tourism is important to New Zealand’s recovery and as we get closer to the return of international visitors it’s incredibly important that this is balanced with ensuring tourism enriches our home, communities and people,” René said.

“I look forward to working closely with government and the sector to achieve this.” 

PHOTO: Tourism NZ