Manaakitanga is one of the most important concepts to Māori people and is the backbone of Rotorua Tourism & Hospitality.
Manaakitanga is a process of showing hospitality, kindness, generosity, supports the process of showing respect and care for the people who use services.
Our unique city was built on these principles and values of looking after people and how they are treated, it is our wero (challenge) to continue this legacy now and into the future.
Customer service is key to any business that provides a service to customers. To really deliver excellent service, you must go the extra mile.
Manaaki Rotorua is a training tool for business and has a focus on giving you entry-level skills with tips on frontline service for customers.
He aroha whakatō, he aroha puta mai - If kindness is sown than kindness you shall receive.
The Manaaki Rotorua program consists of five modules, each with varying completion times. Depending on your sector within the Rotorua Visitor Economy, you can choose the modules that best suit your business or training needs.
For Hospitality Businesses, we recommend starting with Module Five - Customer Experience, followed by Module Four - Rotorua the Place the Names. To gain a deeper understanding, we suggest completing the following modules in order: Module One - Manaakitanga & Delivering Exceptional Experience, Module Two - Te Reo Maori Pronunciation & Te Arawa Local Stories, and Module Three - Rotorua Insights, Key Facts and Local Knowledge.
For Tourism, Accommodation, Transport, and Guiding, complete the same modules in the following order: Module One, Module Two, and Module Three.
Each module will take approximately 1-2 hours or if you go through intermittently at your leisure, it could be easily done over a few days or even weeks.
MODULE ONE - MANAAKITANGA & DELIVERING EXCEPTIONAL EXPERIENCES
Explores the concept of Manaakitanga, what it means to us as individuals, to our region and our community. We look at the skills required to deliver a great customer experience and the importance of it to us individuals.
MODULE TWO - TE REO MAORI PRONOUNCIATION & TE ARAWA LOCAL STORIES
Takes a closer look at the language, history and stories of our local Te Arawa people, as well as learning common Māori words, phrases and pronunciation, how to introduce yourself in Te Reo Māori and more.
MODULE THREE - ROTORUA INSIGHTS, KEY FACTS & LOCAL KNOWLEDGE
Is all around those aspects that will help you become a great destination specialist. Helpful insights, local tips, key facts and figures and much more to assist you to become a knowledgeable Rotorua ambassador.
MODULE FOUR - ROTORUA THE PLACE THE NAMES is a short and easy way of familarising how to pronounce key street names and features in Rotorua.
MODULE FIVE - CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE FOR HOSPITALITY BUSINESSES this module is best suited to those businesses that have food and beverage element and is a great introductory course for those entering the sector or those that need a refresher.
At the end of most sections within each module there is a short quiz to check you’ve understood the key messages of the course. Whilst the questions aren't super tough, it will pay to take some notes along the way as you seek to retain and remember what you have learnt.