Queenstown-based tourism giant Wayfare has announced its new chief executive - Tourism New Zealand boss Stephen England-Hall.

England-Hall is stepping down from the national tourism agency after three-and-a-half years to take up the role with Wayfare, which operates Real Journeys, Cardrona Alpine Resort, & Treble Cone skifields, Go Orange and the International Antarctic Centre in Christchurch.

He'll begin early next year. 

Wayfare chair and Queenstown's mayor Jim Boult says the board is delighted with the appointment. 

"Mr England-Hall brings with him a wealth of tourism industry knowledge and deep understanding of both the domestic and international markets that will be invaluable in these extraordinary times."

England-Hall says he’s excited to be joining Wayfare at such an important time.

"Tourism will play a crucial role in our nation’s recovery and future prosperity and I believe Wayfare can be a leader in making this happen."  

England-Hall's previous roles include CE of Loyalty NZ, the company behind customer loyalty and data coalition Flybuys and the analytics business LAB360, as well as senior executive of leading international digital marketing data and technology companies. 

Queenstown's TSS Earnslaw, operated by Real Journeys. Photo: Wayfare

Boult says: "We are especially excited by Stephen’s expertise in the digital world. His hands-on experience in what it means to be a digitally enabled consumer business will be vital to the ‘new normal’ for Wayfare," says Boult.

Richard Lauder, who oversaw the purchase of Cardona and other businesses for Real Journeys, before rebranding under the Wayfare umbrella organisation, quit in February, before Covid struck. Ian Jackson was his temporary replacement.

The Wayfare group, in its original incarnation, was founded in 1954 by tourism and conservation pioneers Les and Olive Hutchins.