About

Cultural Acumen Tourism Training programme is a project established and managed at the University of Otago. The project is funded by the Centre of Asia-Pacific Excellence of South East Asia, North Asia, and Latin America.

Culture Ready

The project was born out of a study that identified there is a need to provide a resource for small and medium tourism operators (SMEs) in New Zealand to improve cultural awareness and preparedness in delivering the New Zealand tourism experience. The SMEs were challenged by accessing existing resources that cater to their needs. Therefore, the project provides a platform for small and medium tourism operators (SMEs) in New Zealand to increase cultural awareness and improve business preparedness to serve visitors.

The project specifically focuses on providing cultural understandings related to South East and North Asia, and Latin American visitors to New Zealand, markets that have been observed to have a significant growth pre-Covid-19, a potential that will open up again once the pandemic has passed.


The training programme is developed to equip front line staff, managers, and marketing and sales staff working in tourism and hospitality, including hotels, restaurants, attractions and transport with cultural awareness to enhance the visitor experiences. It will also offer the opportunity to test the knowledge and obtain a certification.

Industry Insights

Booking rooms vs beds

Clothing and safety

Eating and Cooking

Greetings and translations

Muslim visitors

Argentina

Brazil

China

Indonesia

Japan

Malaysia

Singapore

South Korea

South East Asia

North Asia

Latin America

Maori Values

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Cultural Insights

Booking rooms vs beds

Clothing and safety

Eating and Cooking

Greetings and translations

Muslim visitors

Pets and animals

Bathroom Etiquette

Argentina

Brazil

China

Indonesia

Japan

Malaysia

Philippines

Singapore

South East Asia

North Asia

Latin America

See more less

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