Delegation opens doors for local exporters

Published on 04 August 2026

A trip to secure trade and education partnerships in China, Japan and Singapore has put Whanganui-grown lamb on the table for a high-end Japanese restaurant - and put the district on the radar for hundreds more international students.

Whanganui District Council's Asia Mayoral Delegation brought together council, local exporters, education providers and iwi organisations to turn long-standing relationships into real economic opportunities for the district.

The clearest early win was for Atihau Incorporation, which used meetings in Japan to advance talks on supplying New Zealand lamb into the Japanese market - a potential new export line for the district's largest Māori agribusiness.

"Export opportunities start with relationships," says Atihau Incorporation Chair Shar Amner. "This trip helped secure more opportunities around supplying New Zealand products into Japan and opened in-market doors that cannot be unlocked from New Zealand."

Yobees Honey also joined business engagements in China focusing on conversations on premium food and fibre exports. "The delegation helped further conversations that would have been difficult to have on our own and proven to add real value towards potential trade and tangible business opportunities. We expect huge growth in our exports to China", says Director Johann Ander.

Education tourism was the other standout. Whanganui-based provider AwaSense met with a tourism operator in Lijiang, education travel providers in Japan, and Education New Zealand's Tokyo office to do the groundwork for bringing more international students and visitor groups into the district.

"It created a platform for growing our client base and attracting more international groups to the region," says AwaSense Director Jimmy Elliott.

UCOL built on that momentum, meeting with Japan's KOSEN Headquarters and Juntendo University to explore new education and innovation partnerships alongside its existing ties.

Mayor Andrew Tripe says the trip itself isn't the achievement, but about what happens next.

"The meetings were just the starting point. Success is measured by what comes next: more students, stronger export opportunities, new partnerships, and real economic value flowing back into Whanganui."

The council will track progress on each of these connections over the coming months, with updates as agreements move from discussion to delivery.

Team Lead Economic Development Tim Easton says the delegation reflects Whanganui’s wider economic story: a district with two distinct sides – a strong heartland New Zealand economy, and a globally ambitious creative city. It underlines how using our relationships, creativity and export strengths can build practical opportunities in international markets.

“Our sister city relationships and UNESCO City of Design status give Whanganui a platform to be seen, understood and trusted internationally. This result shows the value of sustained, behind-the-scenes work to build relationships, tell Whanganui’s story with confidence, and connect our businesses and institutions to opportunities that support long-term economic growth.”