Cultural Awareness
Respect for the local Maori culture is a priority for Elite Adventures as we visit areas with huge historical and cultural significance to the Maori people. As part of our practice we respect the wairua “spirit” that flows through these attractions, to further our practice we teach and inform our tourists about the Maori culture and its kaupapa (teachings) and kawa (protocols). We work closely with local Maori Kaumatua (elders) to ensure that our interpretations are correct, poignant and relevant.
Elite Adventures guides tourists from many nationalities and we show respect to their culture in the hope that they respect ours in return. For example: we provide our guides with basic language sheets for Maori, Portuguese and Spanish in order to respect the tourist knowing that English is not their first language and make them feel more comfortable. We also try and greet them in their language once their origins have been established. At each attraction we have multiple language translation sheets available for their reference.
Tikanga:
Whanaungatanga
Whanaungatanga embraces Whakapapa (genealogy) and focuses on relationships and connections we have to the local iwi and the land. Members of our staff are of Maori descent or have married into Maori families and have excess knowledge on Maori tikanga.
Our guides share their Whakapapa (genealogy) with our Manuhiri (visitors) to display our connection not only to the local iwi but also our connection back to the Pacific Islands/Austronesia. The result being that we automatically connect to the visitors and can further implement our manaakitanga values.
Manaakitanga
Manaakitanga is incorporated into our business philosophy within regard to how we connect and treat our manuhiri (visitors). Manaakitanga is a central focus of Maori culture and it is our responsibility to embrace the hospitality theory of New Zealand and its people. It is the spirit of Manaakitanga which differentiates New Zealand from the rest of the world. Elite Adventures hospitality is well documented within our reviews on TripAdvisor/Viator and Google.
Kaitiakitanga
We are guardians of our land and visitors. The land has a wairua (spirit) and has a mauri (life force) therefore we believe you must protect Papatuanuku (mother earth) and everybody who journeys over here (Manuhiri). Creating awareness about our cultures affinity to the land is the best practice of Kaitiakitanga, Elite Adventures incorporates these values into our spiels, our rhetoric and our way.