Cruise ship crooner Ash Puriri's PhD pioneers Māori tourismDonna Paget Ash Puriri is the first of his tribe, Ngāti Kahungunu, to receive a PhD in tourism and is the first doctor of his family. Ash Puriri feels like "a cat landing on its feet", now that he's completed his PhD in Māori​ tourism. SUPPLIED As Waikato Tourism Limited director, Dr Ash Puriri now manages cultural performances on cruise ships. The crooner spent more than 20 years performing on cruise ships around the world, after winning the first episode of Australia's Star Struck as Barry White. And Māori​ tribes that have settled have all expressed an interest in wanting to invest into Māori​ tourism but haven't known how."

Source: Stuff December 10, 2017 23:03 UTC