Tourism Innovation Group (TIG)

What Tourism Innovation Group (TIG) does

Tourism Innovation Group (TIG) is a privately owned New Zealand tourism holding company headquartered in Queenstown that builds, invests in, and operates a portfolio of premium tourism brands serving travellers to the South Island. Its operating brands are Altitude Tours (premium small-group day tours to 8 destinations across the lower South Island, established 2017), Black NZ (luxury bespoke day and multi-day tours, formerly Black ZQN), and Fiordland Tours & Fiordland Walks (day tours and guided walks from Te Anau to Milford Sound), with Altitude Hot Pools announced as an upcoming addition.

The company operates a service-based model with no proprietary technology platform; its differentiation rests on award-winning brand reputation, curated itineraries, and a 30+ partner ecosystem that bundles helicopter flights, cruises, winery visits, distillery tastings, and lodging into multi-product experiences. Operations are supported by an internal staff app and refined tour operations systems, but the technology stack is not a primary value driver.

TIG generates revenue primarily through per-booking, quote-based pricing on day tours, luxury bespoke experiences, and guided walks, complemented by partnership referrals and agent distribution. Its customer base includes luxury travellers seeking bespoke experiences, experience-seeking day tour customers, and broader domestic and international visitors to the South Island. The group is founder-controlled (Heidi Farren and Nigel Hobbs), with Graham Kinlan as Group General Manager, and is funded entirely through organic growth with no disclosed external investment. The business reinvests into community impact, donating 1% of annual profits to the Love Queenstown Community Fund.

Name

Tourism Innovation Group (TIG)

Legal name

Tourism Innovation Group Ltd

Website

https://tig.co.nz

Company type

Private

Founded year

2017

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Tourism Innovation Group (TIG) is a privately owned Queenstown-based tourism holding company that operates premium New Zealand South Island tour brands — Altitude Tours, Black NZ, Fiordland Tours, and the upcoming Altitude Hot Pools — serving domestic and international travellers seeking curated, luxury, and small-group experiences.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Tourism and Tour Services

NAICS

Tour Operators (561520), Scenic and Sightseeing Transportation (487)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900), Services-Miscellaneous Amusement & Recreation (7990)

akta.pro primary industry

Adventure & Outdoor Local Operators (Trekking/Safari/Diving) (THAKAEAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Adventure & Expedition Multi-Day Tour Operators (THAKADAD), National Park & Protected Area Tours (THAJAIAA)

Keywords

• Guided day tours
• Luxury bespoke tours
• Wine tour experiences
• Small-group sightseeing
• South island tourism

Headquarters

HQ city

Queenstown

HQ country

New Zealand

HQ region

Oceania

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Day Tours: Premium small-group day tours offering wine tours and sightseeing tours to 8 destinations across the lower South Island. Revenue generated through per-booking pricing.
2. Luxury Bespoke Tours: Black NZ curates ultimate bespoke day and multi-day luxury tour experiences for discerning travellers. Premium pricing for personalised, exceptional experiences.
3. Fiordland Tours & Walks: Small group leisurely day tours from Te Anau to Milford Sound, plus guided day walks in Fiordland area. Revenue from tour bookings.
4. Upcoming Experiences: Development of Altitude Hot Pools as new experience under TIG portfolio, representing future revenue expansion.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Tourism Innovation Group (TIG) is a privately owned New Zealand holding company that builds, invests, and operates a portfolio of tourism brands delivering small-group day tours, luxury bespoke tours, and Fiordland experiences across the South Island. Its owned brands — Altitude Tours (premium wine and sightseeing day tours from Queenstown to 8 lower South Island destinations), Black NZ (bespoke luxury day and multi-day tours), and Fiordland Tours (small-group tours from Te Anau to Milford Sound and guided walks) — sell directly to travellers, with an upcoming Altitude Hot Pools experience in development.

Product overview

Tourism Innovation Group (TIG) is a privately owned New Zealand company that builds, invests, and operates a portfolio of tourism brands. The group operates as a holding company for multiple tourism sub-brands: Altitude Tours (premium small-group day tours from Queenstown), Black NZ (luxury bespoke tours), Fiordland Tours & Fiordland Walks (day tours and walks from Te Anau to Milford Sound), and the upcoming Altitude Hot Pools. TIG consolidates operations and embeds shared values including sustainability and innovation across all brands.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Altitude Tours: Premium, small-group, award-winning day tours specializing in wine tours and sightseeing tours to 8 destinations across the lower South Island. Established in 2017.
• Black NZ
• Fiordland Tours
• Altitude Hot Pools

Products and services

• Altitude Tours Premium, small-group, award-winning day tour operator established in 2017 from Queenstown, offering wine tours and sightseeing tours to 8 destinations across the lower South Island. Targeted at experience-seeking travellers visiting Queenstown.
• Black NZ

Quantifiable outcome

• 1% of annual profits donated to Love Queenstown Community Fund for climate, conservation, and biodiversity projects

Named customers1 record

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

15 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Ngai Tahu TourismcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNgai Tahu Tourism is a major indigenous tourism operator in New Zealand. Partnership aligns with TIG's commitment to authentic cultural experiences and sustainable tourism.
• Dart RiverscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRiver tourism operator providing jet boat and river experiences that complement TIG's tour offerings.
• Totally TourismcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMajor Queenstown tourism operator offering complementary adventure tourism experiences.
• Helicopter LinecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerScenic helicopter flight operator providing aerial experiences integrated with TIG's tour packages.
• Mitre Peak CruisescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFiordland cruise operator providing marine experiences complementing Fiordland Tours offerings.
• Glenorchy AircoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerScenic flight operator based in Glenorchy providing aerial experiences.
• Milford Sound LodgeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAccommodation provider in Milford Sound area for multi-day tour experiences.
• Broken Heart GinminorOthersLocal gin distillery providing premium spirits for tour experiences.
• Cardrona DistilleryminorOthersPremium distillery providing spirits for tour and dining experiences.
• KinrossminorOthersWine producer in Central Otago providing wines for wine tours.
• Canyon BrewingminorOthersCraft brewery providing beverages for tour experiences.
• Terra SanctaminorOthersCentral Otago winery included in wine tour experiences.
• Te KanominorOthersNorth Canterbury vineyard included in tour experiences.
• AyrburnminorOthersPremium wine estate providing experiences for luxury tours.
• InflitecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHelicopter and scenic flight operator for aerial tourism experiences.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Skyline Queenstown: Iconic Queenstown tourism attraction (gondola, luge, stargazing) targeting the same premium visitor pool as Altitude Tours and Black NZ from the same Queenstown base.
• Southern Discoveries: Milford Sound-based operator running cruises and day experiences from Te Anau, competing head-on with Fiordland Tours for the same Fiordland visitor.
• Real Journeys: Major New Zealand scenic cruise and tourism operator with Fiordland/Milford Sound cruises and day tours, directly overlapping with TIG's Fiordland Tours in the same South Island geography and customer segments.
• Tasman Valley 4WD Tours: South Island adventure day tour operator (Mt Cook/Canterbury) competing for the same small-group premium sightseeing traveler that TIG targets across its South Island brands.
• Nomad Safaris: Queenstown-based small-group 4WD safari tour operator offering premium nature/sightseeing day tours in the same South Island luxury-adventure category as Altitude Tours.
• Ziptrek Ecotours: Queenstown-based eco-tourism operator offering guided adventure experiences with sustainability positioning, overlapping with TIG's premium eco-tour positioning from the same Queenstown hub.
• Fine Tours New Zealand: Luxury bespoke private tour operator offering premium NZ itineraries very similar to Black NZ's positioning, targeting the same high-end discerning traveler across the South Island.

Broad incumbents

• House of Travel: Largest NZ retail travel agency network, competing for the same South Island premium traveler through packaged tours and serving as both a potential channel partner and competitor to TIG's direct-to-consumer model.
• Tourism Holdings Limited (THL): Largest NZ tourism operator (rentals, hotels, tourism brands across Australia/NZ) operating broadly in the same tourism space with overlapping customer segments and greater scale and capital resources than TIG.

Emerging players

• Over The Top - The Helicopter Company: Queenstown/Franz Josef helicopter tour operator offering scenic flights and snow landings; while also a TIG partner category, it competes for the premium aerial experience portion of TIG's bundled offerings.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/tourism-innovation-group

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Subsidiaries4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Tourism Innovation Group (TIG)