George Hickton to Stand Down After 10 Successful Years

Date: 30 June 2009

After 10 years at the helm of Tourism New Zealand its chief executive George Hickton is stepping down leaving a strong legacy for his successor.

When he joined the organization a decade ago, the picture was very different. George Hickton says back in 1999 his first set of goals was clear - to rebuild faith in the organisation and to introduce a single global marketing brand for New Zealand tourism overseas.

"When I walked in the door, things at Tourism New Zealand were difficult. Relations with the Government had broken down, we had multiple brands around the world and the industry had lost faith in the organisation’s ability to deliver results," he says.

The past 10 years have seen things change significantly.

Today, Prime Minister John Key holds the tourism portfolio and has already supported Tourism New Zealand with many events, launches and announcements. And the 100% Pure New Zealand global marketing brand is celebrating its 10th anniversary.

Since its inception, the 100% Pure New Zealand brand has won awards, gained recognition overseas, won the support of the industry and is one of the world’s most stable and long-running tourism brands.

George Hickton says it’s the right time for him to hand over the reins of Tourism New Zealand.

"I have been at Tourism New Zealand for 10 years, our brand is 10 years old and we have cracked the 1 million mark for Australian visitors in a year. It feels like this is the right time to leave, though it was a very hard decision to make."

George Hickton says he also wants to leave enough time for the next chief executive to settle in well ahead of the 2011 Rugby World Cup.

"2011 will be a huge year for tourism, but the years leading up to the Rugby World Cup will require an enormous amount of planning to ensure New Zealand and the industry get the most out of it. The new chief executive needs to be part of that process," he says.

Tourism New Zealand Chairman Greg Muir acknowledges the tremendous commitment George Hickton has brought to the role of CEO.

"George has managed some outstanding achievements during his time as the CE of Tourism New Zealand. He will be a big loss not only to Tourism New Zealand but to the industry at large," he says.

Source: Tourism New Zealand Feature