New Zealand – The airline is not only celebrating a return to tourism, but its country's diverse cultural heritage. The latest safety video to be launched by the brand follows Tiaki, a young man who boards a waka rererangi, or flying canoe, to explore Aotearoa, the Māori language name for New Zealand.
Throughout the video, Tiaki visits four Māori guardians – Papatūānuku (the land), Tangaroa (sea), Tāne Mahuta (forest) and Ranginui (sky). The overarching mission for the video is to encourage visitors to care for the country’s environment, culture and people. To ensure an accurate representation of Māori traditions, the airline also worked closely with the New Zealand Māori Arts & Crafts Institute, recognising the importance of involving Indigenous voices in efforts to protect its heritage.
‘We want tourism to build back better than it was before and part of that is to share with our visitors a sense of kaitiaki – to encourage them to act like guardians of our country,’ explains Leanne Geraghty, chief customer and sales officer for Air New Zealand, emphasising the need to de-colonise travel when promoting tourism.
Strategic opportunity
Tourism providers should prioritise the protection of Indigenous people. Ensure you’re working directly with these communities – not using their national heritage as a marketing tool