About 40 people gathered for the Otago Polytechnic's Cross-Cultural Tourism Symposium in Dunedin yesterday, including Ngai Tahu kaumatua Sir Tipene O'Regan and Chinese professor Kaye Chon of the Hong Kong Polytechnic University.
They were keynote speakers at the event, which also involved Tourism Dunedin chief executive Hamish Saxton, Dunedin Chinese Garden manager Margot Reid, University of Otago senior tourism lecturer Dr Freya Higgins-Desbiolles, Whale Watch Kaikoura operations manager Kauahi Ngapora and Toitu Otago Settlers Museum acting director Jennifer Evans.
Ms Evans said Dunedin's three main cultural stakeholders were recognised as being Maori, Scottish and Chinese.
Artefacts and information at the museum reflected their importance in the community, both historic and modern, she said.
Visitors to the redeveloped museum had commented on the increased prevalence of Maori and Chinese displays, which would be further developed, Ms Evans said.
Although Chinese visitors to Dunedin were largely not aware of the city's Chinese history, and that of the wider Otago region, they were thrilled to discover it, she said.
Dunedin's sister-city relationship with Shanghai was important to both the museum and Chinese garden, through which further links would be forged with Chinese institutions, Ms Evans said.
The symposium was hosted by Otago Polytechnic's principal business lecturer, Dr Sharleen Howison.
