Bryan McChlery

Bryan McChlery’s a go-getter. Since taking over the Te Anau Top Ten holiday park five years ago he’s expanded it significantly, started a daily coach tour business to Milford Sound and opened an information centre in Te Anau’s main street.

Despite having an obvious entrepreneurial streak, Bryan had never run a business until he started managing the Te Anau Top Ten Holiday Park in 2004, the business his parents had operated for 16 years.

One of the first things he noticed was that he had to turn so many people away for lack of capacity. Buying out three neighbours has enabled him to put in 40 new campervan sites, build 12 new units and a new shower and toilet block, with plans on the drawing board for lakefront apartments.

He’s also started Go Fiordland, a daily coach tour to Milford Sound, including a cruise, lunch and a return trip. From one bus four years ago, he now has four coaches operating daily from Te Anau and Queenstown.

Last November, after the coach business grew too big to run out of the holiday park, Bryan opened an information centre in Te Anau as a base for the coaches, combining it with an art gallery and internet cafe.

Even during last year’s slowdown the businesses have gone very well, says Bryan, who is also a partner in a small Christchurch campervan rental firm.

“Turnover has kept going up and we employed more people than ever before in the middle of the recession.”

Previously a tradesman, Bryan was tempted into the tourism business for the lifestyle and the attraction of being his own boss. His success was recognised last year when he won the PATA Young Tourism Professional Award in the Tourism Industry Awards, and earlier this year when he won the annual AA Spirit of Hospitality Award.

Bryan’s a hands-on owner who is always keen to learn from other successful tourism operators.

“I have a vision, see what I’d like to do, and then ask lots of questions. The most important thing is to give visitors exactly what they want, not what you want or you think they want. That keeps them happy and us successful.”