Tātaki Auckland Unlimited: Destination Auckland 2035

Karen Thompson-Smith heads the Tourism Team that sits within Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland’s economic and cultural development agency Tātaki Auckland Unlimited.

With over 30 years in the Tourism and Hospitality sector, she began her career at THL in their motorhome division. She then served as Key Account Manager at Montana Wines and helped relaunch Carrington Estate in the Far North.

After five years with Tourism New Zealand, including two in the North American team, Karen joined ATEED, leading the Destination Development Team for five years. Following a stint in Toronto, she returned to New Zealand as General Manager of Matakana Coast, where she revitalized the organization during Covid-19.

Before her current role, Karen was the Destination and Sustainability Manager at Tātaki Auckland Unlimited, leading the development of three localised destination management plans and a key piece of research to inform on the opportunities for Auckland’s City Centre Nighttime Economy.