Ngati Raukawa, Te Ati Awa and Ngati Toarangatira
John Barrett is the managing director and founder of Kapiti Island Nature Tours and Nature Lodge, a family operated, multi award-winning tourism business located on one of New Zealand’s premier nature reserves, Kapiti Island. The business is strongly focused on developing whanau (family) hapu and Iwi (tribal group) members into tourism work that is meaningful financially, culturally, environmentally and socially.
He has 40+ years of management and governance experience in a range of private and public organisations and enterprises.
Not surprisingly, John’s interests (when time away from whānau and the whānau business permits) are: nature based tourism, Māori and international indigenous tourism development, local/regional economic development, indigenous higher education and conservation practice and education.