Rotorua’s Te Pā Tū wins two World Luxury Travel Awards in Thailand
Rotorua’s Te Pā Tū has been recognised at an international travel awards ceremony in Thailand.
The company attended the 2026 World Luxury Travel Awards, where they received the Best Cultural Destination in Australasia & Best Immersive Cultural Experience in Australasia awards.
The annual gala ceremony was held in Bangkok, Thailand on Saturday.
Operations manager Irihei Walker and cultural performance manager Jamus Webster accepted the award on behalf of the wider team and Tauhara North No. 2 Trust.
The award acknowledges the collective efforts of the people behind Te Pā Tū, their dedication to Māori culture, storytelling, performing arts, and hospitality continuing to shape the experiences shared with manuhiri (visitors) from around the world.
This was the second consecutive year Te Pā Tū had received an award at the international event, after winning Cultural Destination, Australasia in 2025.
Head of tourism for Tauhara North No. 2 Trust, Kiri Atkinson-Crean, said: “This award directly reflects the passion of our people – those behind Te Pā Tū. Our people give with generosity and heart every single day – to receive this acknowledgment for a second consecutive year is just brilliant.”
The World Luxury Travel Awards were established in 2006 and are presented at country, regional, continental and global levels.
The awards attract more than 300,000 international traveller votes annually, with travellers, industry professionals, tour operators and visitors voting during a dedicated three-week period.
The winners are recognised for their overall visitor experience, service excellence, attention to detail and operational efficiency, a media statement said.
Webster said: “I think this award reflects the cultural foundations that anchor us, ground us. Our seasonal programming, Tū Te Ihi [winter] and Tū Te Rā [summer], sees us constantly evolving, growing and refining – from our kai [cuisine] to our kapa haka, to adapting spaces within the amazing backdrop of our ngahere [forest].”
Te Pā Tū has received several industry acknowledgments, including two New Zealand Tourism Awards in 2023, two further awards in 2024, and its first World Luxury Travel Award in 2025.
For Te Pā Tū, the acknowledgment was an opportunity to recognise the collective mahi of its people, past and present, and the continued support of those who contributed to the experience.
“This recognition is key to those constantly striving to share the very best of themselves and of our Māori culture each day,” Webster said.