A newly created role to market the tourism enterprises of the Otago Peninsula Trust is off to a flying start.
Trust marketing manager Sophie Barker said she visited one of the trust's enterprises, the Royal Albatross Centre, yesterday and a seagull gave her a lucky souvenir - ''a seagull poo''.
In the new role, she would create a strategy to market the trust's tourism enterprises, which attracted more than 200,000 people annually, Ms Barker said.
Ms Barker had a part-time role with the trust before working as a business development adviser for the Dunedin City Council for seven years.
Trust general manager Robyn McDonald said the trust's portfolio had grown considerably since it was formed in 1967 to save Glenfalloch Gardens.
The trust started tours at the Royal Albatross Centre in 1972, opened Fort Taiaroa in 1988 and started a joint venture at Blue Penguins Pukekura in 2012.
The trust manages Fletcher House, the Sandymount lime kilns and supports Colinswood Bush and several other projects on the peninsula.
''Our successful visitor operations enable us to carry out our objectives and contribute to the peninsula's long-term sustainability, both as a visitor destination and a valuable habitat for rare and iconic wildlife,'' Mrs McDonald said.
The growth in the trust's visitor sites meant it was a good time to create the position of marketing manager to ensure the consolidation of the trust's marketing and work towards its overall objectives - to preserve, protect, enhance, develop and promote its entities, Mrs McDonald said.
The trust's attractions had capacity for visitor growth and employed more than 60 people at the height of the season.
Otago Peninsula Trust
• Formed in 1967.
• New Zealand's first private charitable trust.
• Its tourism enterprises include the Royal Albatross Centre, Historic Fort Taiaroa, Fletcher House, Pukekura Blue Penguins, Glenfalloch Woodland Garden and Glenfalloch Restaurants.
