Tourism Leadership Group

Purpose

The purpose of the Tourism Leadership Group is to provide system-level, strategic advice to support implementation of New Zealand’s Tourism Policy Statement.

The Group will advise the Minister for Tourism and Hospitality on opportunities and challenges facing New Zealand tourism and recommend priority actions so that efforts are focused where they will have the biggest impact.

The Group reflects the Government’s commitment to working in partnership with the tourism sector to support sustainable growth and a strong visitor economy.

Establishment

The Tourism Policy Statement includes an action to establish a Tourism Leadership Group to help guide implementation of the Statement's actions.

The Group was established in October 2026, with members appointed by the Minister for Tourism and Hospitality for a 2-year term.

Further information on the purpose of the Group and its responsibilities is outlined in the Terms of Reference.

Membership

The Group brings together experienced leaders from across the tourism industry, local government and central government. Dave Beeche (Chief Executive, RealNZ) and Anna Clark (Deputy Secretary, Labour, Science and Enterprise, MBIE) have been appointed as co-chairs.

The Group includes 8 non-government and 4 government members. Collectively, the members bring significant expertise across tourism operations, aviation, hospitality, major events, destination management, regional tourism, local government, governance and business leadership.

Anna Clark, Co-chair (government)

Anna Clark is Deputy Secretary for Labour, Science and Enterprise at MBIE. She brings leadership experience across public policy, workforce, regulatory and economic development portfolios, having held senior roles at MBIE, the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet, and the Ministry of Health. Before joining the public service, Anna worked as a lawyer in private practice and in-house.

Dave Beeche, Co-chair (non-government)

Dave Beeche is Chief Executive of RealNZ, one of New Zealand's leading tourism operators. He brings a wealth of experience in tourism, major events, conservation and complex multi-site operations. Dave has previously held senior leadership roles for major events including the FIFA Women's World Cup Australia and New Zealand 2023, Ironman Oceania and the 2012 ITU Triathlon World Champs.  In the 2024 New Year Honours, Dave was appointed a Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit (CNZM) for services to sports administration.

Callum Mallett

Callum Mallett is Chief Operating Officer for SkyCity New Zealand and a member of the Tourism Industry Aotearoa Tourism Council. He brings experience in tourism, hospitality and large-scale commercial operations. Callum has held a range of senior leadership roles across Sky City, including responsibility for hospitality, hotels and the New Zealand International Convention Centre.

Justin Watson

Justin Watson is Chief Executive of Christchurch International Airport. He brings experience in tourism, aviation, destination marketing and commercial leadership. Prior to becoming Chief Executive, he held several executive roles at Christchurch International Airport, including Chief Aeronautical and Commercial Officer. Justin also held senior leadership positions with Tourism New Zealand, where he led marketing, trade, public relations and major events activities.

Kiri Goulter

Kiri Goulter is a destination stewardship and destination management specialist with more than 25 years' experience across tourism, economic development, local government and central government. She has led tourism development initiatives at regional and national levels, including establishing Hamilton & Waikato Tourism and leading the development of MBIE's Destination Management Guidelines.

Laurissa Cooney

Laurissa Cooney is an experienced professional director, chartered accountant and governance leader of Te Āti Haunui-a-Pāpārangi descent. She serves on several major New Zealand boards, including Air New Zealand, Rabobank New Zealand, Goodman Property and Metlifecare. Laurissa brings experience in governance, finance, tourism and iwi development. Previous tourism leadership roles include Chair of Tourism Bay of Plenty and co-chair of MBIE's tourism Industry Transformation Plan environment workstream.

Steve Armitage

Steve Armitage is Chief Executive of Yachting New Zealand. He is an experienced tourism, hospitality and major-events leader, having held senior leadership roles with Hospitality New Zealand, Daylight (tourism and events consultancy) and Tātaki Auckland Unlimited. Steve has also chaired Business Events Industry Aotearoa and co-chaired MBIE's Tourism Data Leadership Group.

Tansy Tompkins

Tansy Tompkins is Chief Executive of Wellington Cable Car, Chair of the New Zealand Cruise Association, Chair of the Tākina Performance Management Group and a member of the Tourism Industry Aotearoa Tourism Council. She brings broad experience in tourism leadership spanning hotels, travel retail, visitor attractions, cruise tourism and destination marketing. Tansy previously spent nearly 12 years at Tourism New Zealand, culminating in the role of Global Manager Trade Marketing.

Tracey Green

Tracey Green is General Manager of Destination Marlborough. She brings experience in destination marketing, tourism strategy, regional development and tourism business growth, with more than 20 years' experience across New Zealand, Australia and the United Kingdom. Tracey has previously led her own tourism consultancy, worked with tourism businesses across Australasia, and chaired the Marlborough Chamber of Commerce. She also manages the Queen Charlotte Track with the Department of Conservation.

Catherine Wilson (government member)

Catherine Wilson is Deputy Director-General Biodiversity, Heritage and Visitors at the Department of Conservation (DOC). She brings experience in conservation, environmental policy, biosecurity and public sector leadership, having held senior roles at DOC, the Ministry for Primary Industries and the Ministry for the Environment.

René de Monchy (government member)

René de Monchy is Chief Executive of Tourism New Zealand. He brings more than 2 decades of international leadership experience in tourism, marketing and commercial strategy. Before being appointed Chief Executive, René served as Tourism New Zealand's Director Commercial, leading the organisation's international market and aviation partnership activities. Earlier in his career, he held senior marketing and commercial roles with Heineken, Asia Pacific Breweries and Fonterra.

Siobhan Routledge (government member)

Siobhan Routledge is Director Aviation at the Ministry for Cities, Environment, Regions and Transport. In her MCERT role on the Group, she will bring a wide range of policy perspectives including connecting to local government and housing policy. She brings experience in transport policy, aviation regulation and government leadership, having held a range of senior policy and executive roles within the transport sector. Previous roles include Acting Deputy Chief Executive Policy at the Ministry of Transport. Siobhan also has a strong background in economic development policy.

Publications

The Tourism Leadership Group meet at least twice a year. MBIE will proactively release key publications by the Group on this page.