Lynda Keene appointed as Chief Executive of Tourism Export Council

Some of Lynda’s previous roles have included working in hotel management (THC, Southern Pacific Hotels, now Intercontinental), former Chief Executive of Tourism Waikato, the Scottwood Trust, and Nelson Tasman Tourism.

The Board of the Tourism Export Council of New Zealand (TECNZ) is delighted to announce that Lynda Keene has been appointed in the role of Chief Executive.

Anna Black, Board Chair of TECNZ says, “Lynda has extensive experience with inbound tourism, working with product suppliers and also experience in regional tourism development. There is a lot of learning from her role at Destination Kaikōura that will be invaluable to other regions experiencing natural disasters and with challenging circumstances that can affect visitor flows”.

Some of Lynda’s previous roles have included working in hotel management (THC, Southern Pacific Hotels, now Intercontinental), former Chief Executive of Tourism Waikato, the Scottwood Trust, and Nelson Tasman Tourism. She also has a strong consulting background previously working for Deloitte NZ, Tourism Business Advice (NZ), the United Nations World Tourism Organisation and South Asian Tourism Council. She has worked closely with local and central government agencies and has experience with advocacy and lobbying on key issues affecting the tourism industry.

Chair Anna Black says, “The industry is entering a period of change where international visitor arrivals are beginning to soften from some markets although it is encouraging that annual visitor spend continues to produce a positive result for New Zealand. Global trends suggest more travelers are expressing the need to see value in travelling to long-haul destinations to ensure carbon emissions are adequately offset and the visitor experience is heightened. We are mindful that careful messaging will be required by our full and allied members to allow New Zealand to continue to see growth in international arrivals and visitor spend”.

Lynda holds an MBA and is an accredited PR Practitioner. She began her career in tourism in 1981 and is a huge supporter of the YoungTEC programme as a former mentor and proponent of promoting tourism as a worthwhile career option for school leavers and those entering the tourism workforce. Lynda is of Ngāti Haua, Ngā Wairiki, and Ngāti Apa Tuwharetoa descent and will start in the role early February 2020.