The message that Maori tourism should diversify the traditional "angry" warrior image does not apply to Rotorua, which already offers a wide range of cultural experiences, says a local Maori tourist expert.
New Zealand Maori Tourism chief executive Pania Tyson-Nathan spoke of the images that are widely used to sell
New Zealand as a destination, at the Tourism Industry Association summit in Wellington last week.
"What is beautiful to Maori can sometimes leave potential and first-time visitors, who haven't engaged or interacted with Maori before, intimidated,
"We have started to see images used that portray all aspects of Maori, and that has increased visitor numbers and interactions with Maori tourism operators,
"We did some study into the view that the Chinese didn't like moko, but in Japan and China people are heavily tattooed in places. It's not the moko that is confronting, it's the angry nature of the images, which are widely used to sell New Zealand as a destination," she said.
