Joining the Destination Marlborough board is another chance to sell Marlborough's story to the world, says Jane Hunter.
"Over the years I have travelled extensively marketing wine, but also marketing Marlborough at large, because at every event I inevitably get asked by someone to help them plan a forthcoming trip to Marlborough. I often say I should be paid as an Ambassador for Tourism New Zealand." Last month the trustees of Destination Marlborough Trust Inc. announced that Jane had been appointed to the Board, along with Gavin Rutherford from KiwiRail.
Managing Director of Hunter's Wines, Jane has been an important part of Marlborough's wine industry since Ambassador Wine Industry Representative on RTO the mid-1980s and has extensive governance experience, including as a Director of Plant and Food Crown Institute and New Zealand Trade and Enterprise.
She says her interest around visitors to the region will always have a wine input, but she also looks beyond wine, to put people in touch with the Marlborough Sounds, mussel tours, dining and beach walks at Kekerengu, biking and walking the Wither Hills and special events such as Garden Marlborough and the Wine & Food Festival.
Jane says things have changed in wine tourism over the past 30 years, and where they once had to think up "gimmicky events" to get people to visit the winery and Marlborough, now the region is top-of-the-list for many people. "With the increasing number of cruise ships coming to the region, we need to re-think what we offer and how."
