As part our commitment to honouring our core value, ‘Aotearoa Proud’, we have launched a training policy where staff are paid to learn Te Reo (Māori language) through an agreed course provider. Acknowledging New Zealand’s first language is another way that we honour and incorporate the three Māori values that are our guiding principles.
We’ve selected a mix of Te Reo courses with hands-on and self-directed study that will give participants an introduction to the Māori language and a good understanding of the culture. Participants from across the Haka Tourism Group (Haka Tours, Haka Educational Tours, Haka Lodges and Haka Hotels) are paid for each hour they participate in an approved course up to $1000 in this ongoing initiative.
Haka Tourism Group are always looking for ways to evolve our cultural capability right across our business including our scholarship to recruit more Māori Tour Managers and the Māori welcome and farewell that our tour guests receive. After completion of the Te Reo course, participants are asked to suggest three ways that Haka Tourism Group can incorporate additional Te Reo or protocol into our business and work life.