The board of the Travel Agents Association of New Zealand says that due to the significant financial impact Covid-19 has had on the travel industry and the flow on to TAANZ it has made the difficult decision to restructure the association.

The outcome is that the role of the chief executive officer is no longer affordable and Andrew Olsen will be leaving in September. The board has highlighted Olsen's many years of service to the association and notes he has championed the TAANZ accreditation model and the elevation of staff qualifications and standards, brought to light the successful National Travel Industry Awards, implemented the ATA brand, been at the forefront of negotiations with IATA and more.

Travel Agents Association of NZ (TAANZ) yesterday advised Treasury it firmly supported the Brand-led submission that had been with MBIE for nearly two months.

Travel agents are still wondering what needs to be done to get government acknowledgment that the industry needs to be supported. A list of tourism attractions were today announced as recipients of relief from the government's tourism fund. 'We were advised to look at this fund as an option,' says Andrew Olsen, TAANZ CEO. 'Unfortunately travel agents are not visitor attractions so that application process was not designed to include us.

The Travel Agents Association of New Zealand (TAANZ) says it has had ‘mixed feedback’ on hotel rates and commissions since the ‘pivot’ to domestic sales.

While the move to Alert Level 1 will further stimulate domestic travel – something which has at least given a flicker of life to some agents and brokers – the industry continues to call for urgent attention to paid to trans Tasman travel and other safe border openings.

Staggering the New Zealand school holidays by region would reduce a ‘quick glut’ of business followed quickly by a soft period for domestic tourism, says Travel Agents’ Association of New Zealand (TAANZ) president Brent Thomas.

The decision to allow Kiwis to start travelling around the country by air under Alert Level 2 will help kick-start regional economies says the New Zealand Aviation Coalition (NZAC).

Justin Tighe-Umbers, chair of NZAC, says the move will help save and regrow jobs and businesses.

The Travel Agents’ Association of New Zealand (TAANZ), with contributions and endorsements from Flight Centre, Helloworld, House of Travel and First Travel Group, has presented a submission to government on travel supplier credits – remedies and protections for travel agents and consumers.

TAANZ chief executive Andrew Olsen says the submission laid out the inherent risk in credits, supplier failure and consumers seeking refunds, and the travel agent bearing the brunt of chargebacks and collapse.

The Travel Agents’ Association of New Zealand (TAANZ) has cancelled this year’s National Travel Industry Awards.

The Travel Agents Association of New Zealand (TAANZ) is hoping to present a firm recommendation on its stance around airline refunds and credits to appropriate government ministers early next week.