Grow Tourism

What Grow Tourism does

Grow Tourism Ltd is a New Zealand-based online professional development company founded in 2022 by Alex Dykman that delivers a cloud-based learning management system purpose-built for the tourism and hospitality workforce. The platform structures content around five proprietary pillars — Customer Experience & Commercials, People & Networks, Culture, Sustainability, and Future Legacy — and packages it as bite-sized modules (1–2 hours) that combine into learning pathways of 5–15 hours, drawing on real-world case studies from operators such as Hobbiton, AJ Hackett Bungy, Weta Workshop and Ziptrek Ecotours. Its technical core is an LMS with an AI-powered management dashboard that tracks learner progress and runs sentiment analysis to surface business optimisation insights for employers.

The commercial model blends B2B subscriptions (Bronze through Platinum tiers priced at $41–$49 per learner per month, with annual or quarterly billing and a 4-learner minimum), B2C individual pathway purchases priced $199–$499, NZQA-approved micro-credentials through the QRC Elevate partnership, and a Custom Learning Design practice that white-labels and builds bespoke modules for destinations and organisations. Distribution runs through direct enterprise sales, a self-serve portal at pay.growtourism.com, an industry-partner channel anchored by Tourism Industry Aotearoa, Hospitality New Zealand and Queenstown Resort College, and a white-label/OEM offering for organisations that want to embed learning under their own brand. Customers include individual tourism professionals, tourism operators and attractions (e.g., iFLY Queenstown, Larnach Castle), and industry bodies such as Tourism Industry Aotearoa and Wero Aotearoa Charitable Trust; the company is headquartered in Takapuna, Auckland, co-located with Maverick Digital, and is privately held with no disclosed external funding.

Name

Grow Tourism

Legal name

Grow Tourism Ltd

Website

https://growtourism.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2022

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Grow Tourism is a New Zealand-based online learning platform delivering professional development pathways, courses, and NZQA-approved micro-credentials for tourism operators, hospitality businesses, industry organisations, and individual tourism professionals, primarily in Aotearoa.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Tourism Workforce Training and Professional Development

NAICS

Tour Operators (56152)

SIC

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

akta.pro primary industry

Adult Continuing Education & Lifelong Learning Tours (THAKAGAL)

akta.pro secondary industries

Adult Skill-Building Expeditions & Courses (Leadership, Survival, Navigation) (THAAAOAC), Tourism Trade & Services Exports Development (BPADAMAO)

Keywords

• Tourism professional development
• Hospitality workforce training
• Online learning platform
• Visitor economy education
• Micro-credential courses

Headquarters

HQ city

Takapuna

HQ country

New Zealand

HQ region

Oceania

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Software

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Subscription Plans (B2B): Tiered monthly subscription plans for businesses and organisations based on learner count. Bronze ($49/learner/month for 4-24 learners), Silver ($46/learner/month for 25-50 learners), Gold ($44/learner/month for 51-75 learners), Platinum ($41/learner/month for 76+ learners). Annual or quarterly billing with minimum 4 learners.
2. Individual Pathway Purchases (B2C): Individual learners purchase single seats for specific learning pathways. Prices range from $199 (Visitor Economy Fundamentals) to $499 (Visitor Experience Design) per learner. Discounts available for teams of 5+.
3. NZQA Micro-Credentials: QRC Elevate micro-credentials priced at $395 per learner, offering NZQA-approved qualifications (50 hours, Level 3, 5 Credits) with compulsory 1-day workshop plus 5 weeks blended learning.
4. Custom Learning Design: White-labelled and custom module development for organisations. Bespoke packages for Organisation/Destination partnerships (POA pricing). Includes custom learning pathways and white-labelled solutions.
5. Freemium Model: Free courses available with a free account, with all other core-curriculum courses available on membership levels. Entry-level courses like 'Understanding the visitor economy' and 'Understanding and applying the Tiaki promise' are freemium.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion4 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Grow Tourism operates a cloud-based online learning platform that delivers bite-sized professional development pathways and NZQA-approved micro-credentials to the tourism and hospitality workforce. The company offers tiered subscription plans (Bronze through Platinum) for businesses, individual pathway purchases, and custom white-label learning design services tailored to the visitor economy.

Product overview

Grow Tourism is an online professional development platform for the tourism and hospitality industry, built around five core pillars: Customer Experience & Commercials, People & Networks, Culture, Sustainability, and Future Legacy. The platform offers a portfolio of structured learning pathways (including Visitor Economy Fundamentals, Tourism Trailblazer, Women in Tourism Career Accelerator, Sustainable Tourism Fundamentals, The Art and Science of Visitor Experience Design, Tourism Management Transition, and Tourism Marketing Fundamentals), a catalog of individual courses, and NZQA-approved micro-credentials through the QRC Elevate program. Additional offerings include custom learning design services with white-labelling options. The platform provides employers with AI-powered management dashboards for tracking learner progress and sentiment analysis.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• QRC Elevate: NZQA-approved micro-credentials for tourism and hospitality, delivered in collaboration with Queenstown Resort College and supported by Hospitality New Zealand.
• Women in Tourism Career Accelerator
• Powrsuit
• The Spark

Quantifiable outcome

• Minimum 10 new modules added to Core Curriculum every year, with each module reviewed every 6 months

Named customers18 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability1 record

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core and minor.

• PowrsuitflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-developed Women in Tourism Career Accelerator - a 3-course programme (4.5 hours) plus 3-month Powrsuit membership. Focuses on self-leadership, networking, and personal branding for women in tourism. Joint marketing through Instagram with shared masterclass events.
• Maverick TourismcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration with award-winning tourism marketing agency for Tourism Marketing Fundamentals pathway. Content development partnership delivering marketing strategy and tactics courses to the Grow Tourism platform.
• Brad RowecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerVisitor Experience Design pathway led by Brad Rowe (bradrowe.me). Award-winning visitor experience design expert presenting and curating the Art and Science of Visitor Experience Design programme.
• Queenstown Resort College (QRC)coreTechnology or IntegrationQRC Elevate powered by Grow Tourism delivers NZQA-approved micro-credentials. Partnership offers internationally-recognised qualifications (Level 3, 5 Credits, 50 hours) with face-to-face workshops plus online learning.
• Hospitality New ZealandcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerSupporting partner for QRC Elevate Micro-Credentials programme. Provides industry endorsement and helps reach hospitality sector professionals.
• Tourism Industry AotearoacoreGTM or Marketing PartnerIndustry association championing Women in Tourism Career Accelerator. Testimonial from Gisela Purcell about custom learning programme (Akiaki – Advancing Tourism). Reference partner for credibility.
• Tourism Innovation GroupminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNigel Hobbs (Managing Director) contributed to Visitor Experience Design pathway as case study provider. Tested Grow's new Visitor Experience Design pathway and provided testimonial.
• Wero Aotearoa Charitable Trust (WACT)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on youth capability development for the visitor economy. First cohort of rangitahi (young people) completed training in 2025. Social media collaboration shared on Instagram.
• Maverick DigitalcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAlex Dykman is also founder of Maverick Digital where Grow Tourism HQ is co-located. Collaborative content development including Weta Workshop marketing course. Shared office space and likely shared resources.
• Tiaki – Care for New ZealandminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for 'Understanding and applying the Tiaki promise' course. Tiaki means to care for people, place and culture - core to high-value tourism outcomes.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Emerging players

• Go1: Online learning content aggregator serving enterprise and SMB customers with curated course catalogues. Comparable in serving mid-market employers with a bundled learning model, though not tourism-specific.
• Disprz: Learning and workforce capability platform with AI-powered skill journeys and dashboards. Closest like-for-like peer on the AI-driven learner sentiment and progress tracking capabilities Grow Tourism emphasises.

Broad incumbents

• Udemy Business: Enterprise tier of the Udemy marketplace with a wide catalogue of business and management courses. Comparable on the B2B self-serve learning motion Grow Tourism offers to individual learners.
• EHL Group (École hôtelière de Lausanne): Globally recognised hospitality education leader with degree programmes, executive education, and consulting. Overlaps with Grow Tourism's workforce development mission at a higher-institutional tier, offering a sense of the long-term scale path.
• Les Roches International School of Hotel Management: Global hospitality and tourism higher education institution offering degrees and executive education. Comparable on industry specialisation and employer brand, though operating at the institutional rather than online-microlearning tier.
• Skillsoft: Large incumbent in corporate online learning with a broad catalogue across leadership, business, and technology. Competes with Grow Tourism for enterprise L&D budgets but lacks tourism-vertical depth.
• LinkedIn Learning: Mass-market professional development platform integrated into LinkedIn's talent graph. A potential substitute buyer for individual tourism professionals and a credible alternative for enterprise L&D teams.

Direct peers

• AHLEI (American Hotel & Lodging Educational Institute): Hospitality-specific training and certification body offering structured courses for hotel and lodging operators. Most directly comparable peer to Grow Tourism in vertical specialisation and certification-led training within hospitality, though US-anchored.
• New Zealand School of Tourism: NZ-based tourism and hospitality training institution providing structured programmes for the local visitor economy workforce. Directly comparable geographic market, learner audience, and capability-building focus.

Others

• Coursera:

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/growtourism
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/grow-tourism

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 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 Grow Tourism