14 December 2018

Media: Rotorua Daily Post

Topic: Grace Millane murder

Enquiry

Enquiry to Destination Rotorua:

I've been asked to check in with Destination Rotorua to see what your thoughts are on the potential effects of the Grace Millane murder on tourism in New Zealand.

Because Rotorua is a popular tourism and backpacking destination, could you please share some of your thoughts on the following?

-Have you heard of any immediate effects on tourism locally in terms of people cancelling travels plans etc?

-And then the flip side to that, have you heard any anecdotal feedback from people saying the unfortunate murder will not deter them from travelling etc?

-Because the murder case is high-profile and has gained a lot of international media attention do you think this could potentially have an effect on people wanting to travel to New Zealand and the Rotorua?

Response

From Chief Executive Destination Rotorua Michelle Templar:

The safety of our visitors is an important part of our reputation as a country and we're well known for the hospitality we provide.

While the international coverage of Grace Millane's tragic death may encourage people to be more cautious about travelling alone in New Zealand, the emotional response from New Zealanders and the swift action taken by police all support visitors' perception that events like this are rare.

The i-SITE team hasn't noted any visitors talking or asking about the case and there's no indication that people are changing their plans to travel here as a result.