It is a challenge she takes seriously and she says it is a privilege to serve her whānau, whānui, Māhia and the wider Tātau Tātau community.
“The award means so much to our whānau in Māhia, so this is very much for them and to those communities in Hastings, Ohakune and Wellington who have contributed to my growth.
“We all know that no one achieves on their own.”
Dame Pania, who was appointed a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit in 2018 and is a Justice of the Peace, has a long association with tourism and was named in the top 50 Global Tourism Innovators in 2021.
As chief executive of New Zealand Māori Tourism since 2008, she has focused on highlighting opportunities a Māori experience offers visitors domestically and internationally.
Tourism is not for every community and/or the same for every community, she says.
“The unintended consequences of a lot of tourists can mean added pressure on infrastructure like roading, sewerage and water use to name a few.
“These issues often go unseen but are felt by smaller communities especially and are further compounded where there is a low rating base.
“Tourism is a fantastic way to create employment and to stimulate economic growth, but it must be well planned and thought through with and by the locals.”
Dame Pania was inducted into the New Zealand Business Hall of Fame last year.
At the event celebrating the honour, she said it was important to “never underestimate the teaching from the marae”.
“At the marae, the front doesn’t work without the back and vice-versa.
“But it’s also about humility and giving those who are coming through the opportunity to be amongst others.
“Tā Wira Gardiner always said to me, ‘Go to war with what you’ve got’ and that’s exactly what we’ve done.”
Dame Pania is a wife and mother of eight children.
