Keri-Anne Wikitera (Tūhourangi / Ngāti Wahiao / Ngāti Whakaue)

Keri is currently studying towards a PhD in Tourism Development in the Faculty of Applied Humanities, AUT University and is a recipient of a NZ Tourism Research Institute/School of Hospitality and Tourism scholarship. Prior to her life as a student, Keri was a ministerial advisor in women’s health policy development and manager of the Auckland Cervical Screening Programme. She completed a Bachelor of Māori Development in 2002 and a Master of Business (Management) graduating in 2007. Her hapū, Tūhourangi, are recognised as one of the nation’s first Māori tourism entrepreneurs and as such her research is specifically positioned within the tourism industry and Māori economic development.
 

Research projects she has undertaken include a study of Māori tourism development in Whakarewarewa, as part of her Master of Business degree; a study on Maori solo parents and child immunisation, funded through the Health Research Council; an internship on research and development of Maori Community Tourism Capacity funded through Nga Pae o te Maramatanga; a study of the economic impact of educational trips to Marae, funded by the Faculty of Applied Humanities, AUT and various smaller projects within NZTRI focussed on indigenous tourism development.