i-SITE and tourism services contract signed

Kapiti Company Limited has been awarded the contract to manage the Paraparaumu and Ōtaki i-SITEs and to work with the tourism industry to raise the profile of what Kāpiti has to offer. The contract runs from July 1.

To enable the smooth handover from current arrangements, both i-SITEs will be closed to the public from 5pm Friday June 29 till 9am Wednesday July 4.

Kapiti Company Limited is a newly established company whose directors have expertise, experience and passion in destination marketing and management.  The Company, which is based at Kapiti Airport, has retained many of the existing i-SITE staff. 

Mayor Jenny Rowan said she was pleased the contract had gone to a locally based company and that many of the existing i-SITE staff would be retained.

“Kāpiti is a fabulous place with many hidden treasures. It will be the task of the new contractor to help market these treasures in association with existing tourism operators, to the wider Wellington, New Zealand and international audience.”

Mayor Rowan said the awarding of the contract was part of the greater emphasis Council was placing on the development and growth of the local economy.  “Council’s new strategy is built around creating more quality local jobs, and establishing the direction of the future economic base while supporting the existing base. The tourism services are an integral part of that base,” she said.

Over recent years Council had delivered all of its economic development services through Nature Coast Enterprises, an organisation jointly funded with Horowhenua District Council. “With the expiry of that contract on June 30, both Councils have reviewed how to now best deliver the services in their respective districts.” 

Mayor Rowan said Council believed the most effective and efficient way to do this was by collaborating with the wider region on projects that focused on innovation and adding value to key sectors such as clean technology, food and beverage and IT, and contracting out to industry experts the delivery of its tourism and general business support services.

In March, requests for proposals for the tourism services (with a July 1 start up) and business support services (with an August 1 start up) were advertised. A number of proposals were received for both sets of services.  Separate panels that included independent outside expertise, assessed the proposals and made recommendations on the preferred suppliers.

Mayor Rowan said negotiations with the preferred supplier of business support services were progressing and Council was confident that these services would be operating from August 1.