Case Study: Tourism Joint Venture with UBCO
In Rotorua, New Zealand, a tourism operator with an eye on the future teams up with UBCO to offer a more accessible, innovative, and sustainable way to experience the stunning landscape. And they’re only just getting started.
Like many local businesses focused on tourism, Adventure Playground has seen a lot of change over the last few years — although for this particular Rotorua-based operator, change has brought only good things.
The business, which offers outdoor activities including clay-bird shooting, horseback treks, and 4x4 buggies, was launched 15 years ago. In 2019, it was taken over by new owners, Craig Holley and Mark Willis, who added further activities like archery, airsoft and paintball target shooting that can be done outside of scheduled tours, and are not limited by the weather or the age of the tourist.
“Our customers range from four-year-olds going on pony trails, to a 90-year-old on a buggy tour and clay shooting. We’ve even had three generations doing a buggy tour together, and the eldest was 88,” says Craig.
Since a large proportion of its customers are domestic, the business was able to not only retain its staff during the subsequent pandemic and re-open seven days a week after the lockdowns ended, but to continue growing.
“People always comment on how easy they are to ride and control — this is what makes the eco-bike tour accessible, and opens up new experiences to people who ordinarily wouldn’t be able to consider going off-road.”
One of the key steps in this evolution has been its collaboration with UBCO bikes, which has allowed the company to develop a low-impact eco-tour, part of which travels through protected tribal land owned by Ngati Whakaue that isn’t normally accessible to the public but offers stunning elevated views over the Rotorua.
“They’re very robust, and there’s no special licence required,” says Craig. “The low centre of gravity means they’re easy to ride, which helps people who have never ridden before to gain confidence quickly. People always comment on how easy they are to ride and control — this is what makes the eco-bike tour accessible, and opens up new experiences to people who ordinarily wouldn’t be able to consider going off-road. We haven’t had a negative review yet.”
Craig had been interested in UBCO since he first saw its bikes at the Fieldays agricultural show in 2015. The company’s zest for innovation and the fact the product was designed and developed in New Zealand instantly struck a chord.
The partnership between the two companies formalised this approach, he says. “Our partnership with UBCO means we can offer an innovative product to our customers, cross-promote one another, and share rider feedback providing valuable R&D information to UBCO, because the number of riding hours is so much higher than that of the average consumer.”
“Working with UBCO has expanded our innovative offering, while looking into the future —our long-term plan is for electric technology to be part of our overall sustainable approach to land custodianship.”
The partnership between the two companies formalised this approach, he says. “Our partnership with UBCO means we can offer an innovative product to our customers, cross-promote one another, and share rider feedback providing valuable R&D information to UBCO, because the number of riding hours is so much higher than that of the average consumer.”
Another huge advantage is that the bikes can be mounted on Adventure Playground’s existing buggies, which allowed Craig and Mark to take them out to the mountainous hinterlands beyond city, and really put them through their paces — firmly establishing UBCO’s credentials as off-road vehicles.
Craig and the team operate a fleet of 12 UBCO Electric Motorbikes which they store and charge in a shipping container on site and the bikes can be booked for groups of up to ten people.
“You can’t sit still and not evolve,” says Craig. “We are constantly thinking about what we can do for the land that we have. Working with UBCO has expanded our innovative offering, while looking into the future —our long-term plan is for electric technology to be part of our overall sustainable approach to land custodianship.”
