Three Rotorua tourism businesses top-ranked by Tripadvisor share secrets to success

From two customers to 250,000, “a one-man band” to an internationally recognised tourism experience, a passionate rafter to a proud business owner. Three Rotorua tourism operators are celebrating big wins this week as their years
of hard work are rewarded with places on travel website Tripadvisor’s list of Top South Pacific experiences – the only Kiwi experiences to make the top 10. Michaela Pointon spoke to the business owners about the secrets to their success.

Rotorua’s Ziplining Forest Adventure, Rotorua Canopy Tours

No. 1 for ‘Top Experiences in the South Pacific for 2023′

Rotorua Canopy Tours general manager Paul Button told the Rotorua Daily Post the Tripadvisor honour was “really cool, really humbling”.

Button remembered when the canopy tour business started in August 2012 it only had two customers in the first week.

“Since then it’s been word of mouth,” Button said.

It has since received over a quarter of a million visitors but for Button, the core of the business has not changed.

Button said it was important to ensure every customer was able to really “feel” the experience.

On Tripadvisor’s website, the Ziplining Forest Adventure was described as an experience that “mixes fun, education, and conservation together to create unforgettable memories”. It had an average rating of 5/5 from almost 3300 reviews.

The three-hour adventure was also considered the third best ‘Nature and Outdoor Activity’ and came 12th ‘Top Bucket List Experience’ lists, worldwide.

Forty per cent of Rotorua Canopy Tours’ customers were domestic tourists. There were over 7000 five-star reviews on Tripadvisor for the business.

Button said running a conservation project alongside the ziplining was what made the business unique.

He said restoring the forest and showing customers the advantages of preserving native forests was part of why the business has continued to attract people.

“We tell the story of the Kiwi bio-diversity crisis every day.”

Button said the canopy business was a “true example of a regenerative tourism model”.

He wanted to thank mana whenua and iwi for sharing the land on which his business operates.

No. 7 for ‘Top Experiences in the South Pacific for 2023′

When Stephen Julian founded Real Rotorua, he was a “one-man band” trying to showcase another side of his beloved town.

“I noticed there was a gap in the tourism market for a walk-through nocturnal style experience where people could have a personal experience with nature,” Julian said.

“We show all the native insects and trees by night.”

Now, Julian said making Tripadvisor’s Top 10 list for Real Rotorua’s Nocturnal Adventure Glow-worm Tours was “a nice lift to the spirit”.

It’s a far cry from where Julian began seven years ago.

According to Julian, it took three years to get his “foot in the door” of the local tourism industry.

Julian remembered his first operational expenses included torches and flashlights.

During the pandemic, he kept his business open part-time.

Julian described the time after Covid-19 as “a couple of years of hard lifting”.

“Since October last year we’ve hit the ground running,” Julian said.

Throughout the challenges, Julian said having small tour groups with a “genuine” guide was among reasons for the business’ success.

Julian took groups of up to eight visitors into the forest at a time.

“I’ve earned my stripes and put in effort. To be recognised is nice.”

No. 8 for ‘Top Experiences in the South Pacific for 2023′

Kaituna Cascades co-owner Peter Lodge said that when he and Blue Mathison purchased the business six years ago, he was “a passionate rafter” willing to take on a challenge.

“The journey has been exciting. I had a rafting background of 15 years.”

Lodge said he wanted to learn how business worked, including administration and leadership.

“[I wanted to] learn new skills.”

Lodge said learning Kaituna Cascades’ White Water Rafting experience had made eighth place in Trip Advisor’s Top 10 South Pacific experiences list was “straight amazing, satisfying [and] awesome”.

“After all the hard work it was cool news to wake up to,” Lodge said.

Lodge said he believed there was a “pretty simple” reason behind the business’ success: “Amazing guide staff, friendly customer service and an amazing activity.”

Lodge said it was “pretty cool” to be recognised alongside other tourism operators in Rotorua.

Redwoods recognised

Rotorua’s Redwoods, Whakarewarewa Forest also gained international recognition, coming in at number 10 in Tripadvisor’s list of Top 10 Attractions in the South Pacific.

Tripadvisor has named the forest one of Rotorua’s “most spectacular natural assets”. The global tourism website has recommended spending between one and two hours among the ancient trees.

Rotorua NZ marketing manager Haydn Marriner said any acknowledgement of Rotorua was greatly appreciated, and it had achieved this internationally at a high level.

Michaela Pointon is an NZME reporter based in the Bay of Plenty and was formerly a feature writer.

Tripadvisor’s Top 10 Experiences in the South Pacific

1. Ziplining Forest Adventure – The Original Canopy Tour Rotorua, Rotorua, New Zealand

2. ABC Snorkel Charters Port Douglas, Port Douglas, Australia

3. Snorkelling excursion, the discovery of the lagoon and its fauna, Moorea, French Polynesia

4. Margaret River Wine Adventure, Margaret River, Australia

5. Swim with Whale Sharks in the Ningaloo Reef, Exmouth, Australia

6. Full-Day Lagoon Group Tour in Bora Bora, Bora Bora, French Polynesia

7. Nocturnal adventure Glow-worm tour, Rotorua, New Zealand

8. White Water Rafting – Kaituna Cascades, Okere Falls, New Zealand

9. Full-Day 1770 Tour by LARC Amphibious Vehicle, Seventeen Seventy, Australia

10. Three-Quarter Day Hervey Bay Premium Whale Watching Cruise, Hervey Bay, Australia