Authentic experience

In 2004 I moved to New Zealand with the intention of running my own tour operation and showing the country to travellers, creating lasting memories, satisfying our clients. From the onset I took it as a lifetime mission. I have never liked “big tourism”, however in Spain and Israel I met exceptionally good tour guides who inspired me and persuaded me that a guided tour with a good local guide brings really valuable experience which I would never get as an individual traveller.

It all started with my first private trip around New Zealand in 2001 - 9 months of backpacking (walking/tramping all over the country), I was already gathering valuable experience. This was one great comprehensive “homework” - solid foundations to build on. Czechia and Slovakia were just fledgeling niche markets we wanted to conquer and show them New Zealand. Step by step I built my knowledge and expertise, regularly visiting all corners of New Zealand, reading, listening, trying to understand the big picture.

I love to convey these long term experiences to my clients - not only to show them this beautiful country but also explain whatever they would like to know - about life in New Zealand, history, nature, politics, economy and so on. Of course I don't know everything, however I need to have a good overview and keep up to date all the time. I believe there are only a few people in the industry with such a background and long-term dedication - this is my unique selling point.

Why do I mention all this? I believe a REAL tour designer and guide must have many years of experience to be able to judge individual cases and provide the best solution for the client. A travel business can't perform well if owners are disconnected, without personal involvement, hiring seasonal tour guides, etc.

Nowadays the travel world is embraced by marketers: your website content is written by a copywriter (who has no personal or emotional attachment to your business), luring images are bought in a photo bank, a CEO specialist and marketing guru will help you to get to media spotlight, your seasonal employee-guide will recite some information compiled by a hired professional storyteller.

To me it is cheating - imagine a chef telling you that he baked the cake himself, but in reality he bought it in a supermarket. Perhaps you’d never found out, but how would you feel if you did?

We provide authentic experience

All information is written and spoken by us, based on our long term experience. All photos are taken by us - showing what you could really experience and what we can show you as well.

We are building this website from scratch as well - learning from IT mistakes, improving our presentation day by day. We are really thinking about what can be done better, how to better provide information to you, our potential customers.

Thank you for considering our NEW ZEALAND TOURS. You will love it.

Martin Sliva

10 December 2020