Destination Great Lake Taupō's general manager resigns

Jane Wilson has headed Destination Great Lake Taupō for five years, and will depart in April.

The head of Taupō's regional tourism organisation is stepping down.

Destination Great Lake Taupō (DGLT) general manager Jane Wilson will leave her post on April 19.

Wilson has led the organisation for the last five years, through the Covid-19 pandemic and extreme weather events.

Having spent the last 20 years in the sector working in such roles as the New Zealand country manager for South Australia Tourism, working with the Walshe Group in Sydney and serving as the general manager for marketing in Cairns and the Great Barrier Reef, the Taupō role saw Wilson return to her hometown in 2019.

Tourism operators in Taupō weathered several disrupted years. Photo / Dan Hutchinson

Wilson said there was something special about promoting her own backyard.

“I have loved my time at Destination Great Lake Taupō. As a proud Kiwi, it has been a privilege to be part of the New Zealand tourism sector - after many years [spent] promoting Australia - and especially working with our team and industry to promote New Zealand’s most beautiful region.”

“I feel very proud of our local team and operators, especially [regarding] the challenging times of the pandemic.

“After a strong start to the summer season, I feel confident our stunning region will continue to punch above its weight in welcoming both domestic and international visitors in the year ahead.

“I wish the DGLT team and our operators every success.”

Wilson said she was stepping away from the sector after several decades to enjoy the region and country she’d spent her career promoting.

Taupō District Council's Christine Rankin praised Jane Wilson's contribution to tourism. Photo / Rachel Canning

Taupō District Council economic development lead Christine Rankin said Wilson was dedicated to her role.

“What a huge difference she has made to the tourism sector in this district.

“Her leadership and knowledge, including her international experience, has been invaluable.

“She never gave up on her vision to make us everything we could be, and evidence of that is how the Taupō region, despite dire economic predictions for the sector here during Covid, not only survived but thrived.

“Her passion, enthusiasm and dogged determination will be so very missed. Taupō has been blessed to have her.”

Mark and Jo Saville, owners of Taupō business Huka Honey Hive, said Jane’s help had been invaluable.

“Jane has been a great support person in times of need, and has done a fantastic job battling for us tourism SMEs [small and medium enterprises] in the last five years.

“Jane has been an inspiration for us and for the whole region.”

Similarly, Destination Great Lake Taupō's co-chairs, David Steele and Kiri Atkinson-Crean, spoke highly of what Wilson brought to the role.

Steele said Wilson had steered the organisation through hard times for tourism.

“While we are extremely sad to see Jane go, she thoroughly deserves her time to now enjoy the region she has done so much to promote.”

Atkinson-Crean said the legacy she will leave behind is a strong tourism sector in the town.

“We are delighted many of our tourism operators are reporting their strongest summer on record.

“Our community is known for welcoming visitors with true manaakitanga [hospitality], and with the upcoming Supercars event in April and the Ironman 70.3 World Champs in December, the region is in a strong position and looking forward to showcasing why it’s regarded as a very special place to visit”.

Destination Great Lake Taupō's board confirmed the process of recruiting a new general manager would begin immediately.

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