Rebecca Ingram, CEO of Tourism Industry Aotearoa (TIA), believes that there a strong future ahead for tourism in New Zealand.
With a background in marketing, Rebecca Ingram has described herself as tourism’s biggest champion and has continued to support all scales of tourism throughout her career, be it small and regional businesses or major tourist attractions in the main centres.
Ingram’s experience across the tourism industry dates back over 10 years. Previous roles have included leading a global Tourism NZ PR and Major Events team across 10 international markets, leading a complex transformation at Telecom (now Spark) and Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand. She has headed TIA since joining in March 2022.
She said that early supporters of hers included tutors and lecturers during her days at university, who pushed her to take up opportunities that progressed her at the start of her career.
She said that support has been a characteristic of her career, with allies in every role who have offered feedback and pushed her to consider new opportunities.
Ingram said that 2025 was a pivotal year for the industry. With approximately 1,200 tourism businesses supported by TIA, Ingram believed in the importance of acknowledging the changing times within the industry.
“There are a range of key areas to watch. Global political uncertainty, technology change, changing demographics of visitors and climate change will all be forces that businesses tackle,” she said.
During her time at TIA, Ingram has had an active role in launching the industry’s strategy, Tourism 2050: A Blueprint for Impact. She said this was one of the most rewarding achievements to have been a part of in her career.
Tourism 2050: A Blueprint for Impact laid out the industry’s vision for a tourism that deliver’s strongly and positively for New Zealand.
“We believe that, with the right settings, tourism could be worth NZD 55 billion per year by 2030. And we can deliver this in a sustainable, resilient way,” said Ingram.
Another key focus that Rebecca Ingram touched on was the idea of 2030 being a date in the distant future. However, she reiterated that it is only five years away, and so momentum is key.
Before joining TIA, a standout moment of Ingram’s career was during her time at Telecom, when she created the ‘Telecom Tree’ project. She said it was just magical to see so many creative ideas infused with technology come to life, and watch the tree bring so much joy to people of all ages. She also noted the unique experience of promoting the Hobbit Films in London, where a room at the Clarridges Hotel was turned into a Hobbit hole with real props from Hobbiton directly shipped from New Zealand. It was one of those moments when kiwi 'can do' attitude was live for all to see.
“I feel fortunate to have been involved in some very special projects in my career.”
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