19th April 2022 By Staff Reporter | news@tourismticker.com | @tourismticker
The tourism industry has expressed its shock and sadness at the sudden passing of Great South chief executive and former Destination Queenstown boss Graham Budd.
Budd is believed to have suffered a heart attack on Friday while walking Chum Track with a friend near Arrowtown. Emergency services were called around 4pm but were unable to revive him.
Industry professionals have expressed their grief with many shocked at the sudden loss.
“An absolute tragedy, I served on the board of Regional Tourism New Zealand with Graham for six years and he led by example and was an excellent chair. My thoughts to family and friends,” said former Tourism West Coast chief executive Jim Little.
General manager of Novotel Queenstown Lakeside, Jim Moore, said he saw Budd last week, who appeared happy, fit and well.
“Graham offered so much to the industry and was always supportive of his team and the wider industry. Truly shocking and hard to believe,” said Moore.
Budd started his role at Southland’s combined economic development agency and RTO, Great South, in Invercargill in February 2020 after 12 years at DQ. He first joined DQ as general manager of marketing before becoming chief executive in 2012.
He was RTNZ chair for three years from 2016, after becoming a trustee and board member of the RTO association in 2011. He was a board member of Tourism Industry Aotearoa for three years from 2016.
DQ chair Richard Thomas said Budd’s contribution to the RTO and tourism had been significant, “leading the organisation through many milestones, changes and challenges over his tenure”.
“Graham led the organisation and the DQ team through a period of time when Queenstown underwent many changes,” Thomas said.
“He was always deeply committed to the organisation, the industry and the people he led. He was a caring and kind leader as well as being very effective in his role.
“He also represented the Queenstown tourism industry and Queenstown Lakes District at a national level on the boards of Tourism Industry Aotearoa and Regional Tourism New Zealand, where he was also chair for three years.”
Great South chair Ian Collier said Budd’s death was “a huge shock to the entire Great South team”.
“Graham made a huge contribution both within Great South and to the wider Southland region in the two years he was in the role,” Collier said.
“Graham was hugely committed to his team and was actively involved in a number of key projects and initiatives across the Southland and Otago regions over many years.
“His extensive experience of the tourism and hospitality sectors has been invaluable. He was an outstanding leader and a wonderful person. We are absolutely devastated by this news and we are in close contact with Graham’s family at this incredibly difficult time.”
Great South joint stakeholders committee chair and Southland District Mayor Gary Tong said the news was “just awful”.
“Graham was so passionate about doing the best by Southland and he and his team have worked so hard over the past two challenging years to support and help our businesses and people across the province.
“His death leaves a large hole for us all, both professionally and personally.”
Budd is survived by his four adult children.
