Skyline boss keen to attract more locals

There's a new face at the helm of Skyline Rotorua, but Bruce Thomasen is no stranger to the company nor to Rotorua.

Having grown up in the city, he remembers riding the luge at a teenager when it first opened and he has spent the past nine years rolling out the concept around the world, including Spain, Italy, Korea and Singapore.

"The luge has become a New Zealand icon, like Pineapple Lumps, jandals and L&P.; There are not many Kiwis who haven't ridden it or have a family member who has.

"It has become like skiing - people want to keep riding it to see if they can't take that corner a bit faster - but you can learn how to do it in 30 seconds."

Thomasen said he was glad to be staying in one place for a while.

"My international role required a lot of travel and it's nice to be back in my home town."

He took over the general manager's job from Neville Nicholson on November 1 with all the major redevelopment done, but he still has ideas and goals to continue developing the business.

As well as taking part in Locals' Week this week, offering 50 per cent off the two-year gondola pass, he wants to get residents using the dining and adventure facilities more regularly.

"Skyline is an icon in the city. We are hosting more than 400,000 visitors annually and 60 per cent of those are Kiwis.

"We are looking at how we can get more local residents coming here more often. I think the gondola passes are one of the best kept secrets. They just make good sense - in a couple of trips they have paid for themselves."

Skyline has 10,000 pass holders, but Thomasen wants to see that number increase.

"Locals are very important to us, along with the friends and family they bring with them."

He will be looking to see how use of the restaurant can be maximised, particularly through corporate functions, and the cafe is also under the spotlight.

"We have some of the best views in the city and one of the bigger plans I have is to work on the cafe and alfresco dining to really lift our product offering to make it a great dining option."

Thomasen wants to see the cafe become a place where locals come for meals or after-work drinks on a regular basis.

Meanwhile, outgoing general manager Neville Nicholson, who has been at Skyline Rotorua since signing up to oversee the attraction's construction more than 26 years ago, is preparing to take on his new role, using his start-up skills to develop Skyline Enterprises' luge concept internationally. One of his first projects will the development of a luge at the former Winter Olympics site in Calgary, Canada.