A travel industry event in Auckland that emphasises diversity in the workplace and progressive change, with a selection of high-powered speakers, is close to a sell-out about six months in advance.

Successful travel industry management and teams need to be benchmarked against the best in business – not only in their own sector, says Keith Sumner, managing director of Gilpin Travel.

A well known Kiwi cruise expert has officially launched a new online travel agent / personal broker service and says the key to the new offering is flexibility and being able to offer an unlimited choice.

Best Agency Support: Air New Zealand
Best Industry Representative: Millie Amann, Contiki Travel
Best Technology Supplier: Amadeus
Best Hotel Group: SKYCITY Hotel Group
Best Car Rental Operator: Avis
Best Tour Operator: The Travel Corporation
Best River Cruise Operator: APT Travel Group
Best Cruise Operator: Carnival New Zealand, P&O, Princess Cruises & Cunard
Best International Airline – Offline: Etihad Airways
Best International Airline – Online: Air New Zealand
Best Niche Wholesaler: World Journeys
Best Wholesaler: GO Holidays
Best Broker: Jo Mayston - YOU Travel Bethlehem
Best Broker Brand: The Travel Brokers
Best Broker Team: KNLTravelTeam—NZ Travel Brokers
Best Travel Agency Group Campaign: House of Travel Christchurch City
Best Travel Agency Manager – Corporate: Justine Beguely, Gilpin Travel
Best Travel Agency Manager – Retail: Carla Schollum, helloworld Travel Featherston Street
Best Young Travel Agency Executive – Corporate: Larissa De Brouwer, APX Travel Management
Best Young Travel Agency Executive – Retail: Ragavendra Pobbathi, House of Travel
Rookie of the Year – Corporate: Leah De Luca – Orbit World Travel
Rookie of the Year – Retail: Lauren Wyllie, House of Travel Havelock North
Best Brand Corporate – Multi Location: Orbit World Travel
Best Brand Corporate – Single Location: Gilpin Travel
Best Brand Retail – Multi Location: Lakers House of Travel Invercargill & Gore
Best Brand Retail – Single Location: House of Travel Christchurch
Best Travel Agency Brand: House of Travel
Best Travel Consultant – Corporate: Maia Hiini, Orbit World Travel Christchurch
Best Travel Consultant – Retail: Belinda Fifield, House of Travel Christchurch
Lifetime Industry Achievement Award: Tony Laker

We are facing existential crises, yet we are still measuring our tourism success in volume terms.

A focus on the well being of porters on the Inca Trail and Kilimanjaro are among the objectives of a responsible travel initiative (The Exodus Foundation) officially launched to New Zealand trade yesterday.

Loyalty Awards were presented to 20 companies as a big thank you from GTN for their three years of support.

Nelson-based Emma Cracroft-Wilson has joined Travel Managers Group.

Global Travel Network’s (GTN’s) conference in just over a fortnight will be its biggest yet and is set to attract what the group believes will be a record gathering of NZ independent agents in one place.

The opening of a new travel agency in Feilding, the third in the Manawatu town, is indicative of the confidence its owner has in ‘the industry, the brand, and the local community.’ Kim Dunwell has operated helloworld Travel Palmerston North for nine years and been in the travel sector for 15.

Travel and tourism educators see building relationships with the industry as a key objective for the just formed Tourism Teachers Association.

The association was officially launched at a professional development session in Auckland yesterday, an event that was backed by AJ Hackett, Haka Tours and SKYCITY.

A New Zealand based company that has built a strong reputation in the inbound market is about to make moves in the outbound sector here.

Active Adventures’ new chief executive officer Wendy van Lieshout says working with agency channels in New Zealand is a key focus for the business. She says the company will be offering full marketing support, training, conferences etc just as it

does in the existing inbound business.

Alpine Wine Tours has launched a progressive dinner tour in Queenstown, believed to be the first of its kind in the region.

Emirates is partnering with Auckland Tourism and Economic Development (ATEED) and Eat Drink Love Ponsonby to bring India’s acclaimed and awarded chef Manish Mehrotra of Indian Accent restaurants to New Zealand this week.

The ink is almost dry on an agreement that will see the All Blacks Tours holding company partner with New Zealand Cricket to be the country’s official seller of cricket packages.

A director of Helloworld Travel with agency operations including Helloworld Travel Rolleston, Blenheim, Wanganui, and Whitianga has been appointed brand ambassador for Mat McLachlan Battlefield Tours (MMBT) and McLachlan European Holidays in New Zealand.

Malia Brock has joined the team at OneNineFive.

House of Travel New Plymouth was named Taranaki’s Top Shop for 2019 at the TSB Top Shop awards recently.

New Zealand agents are looking for new and exciting options in Africa as the continent continues to grow in popularity out of this market, according to suppliers at a World Journeys Experience Africa roadshow this week.

Career hospitality management couple, Katie and Zeyn Buksh have taken up management positions at Scenic Hotel Bay of Islands as general manager and assistant manager respectively.

They have been with Scenic Hotel Group for just under three years. Katie Buksh says she will also be focusing on incorporating Northland’s rich history and Māori culture into the hotel’s products and dining experiences. Scenic Hotel Bay of Islands is a four-star rated property that carries a Silver Enviro Award and is located in Paihia.

ANZCRO New Zealand is launching its agents’ online OZONE system, developed in-house, to facilitate the quick turn around of quotes and bookings.
ANZCRO NZ general manager, Peter Davies says it caters particularly well for complex FIT itineraries and provides a faster process to convert enquiries to bookings.

360edge was unveiled to clients and industry guests last night at a rebrand event in Auckland.

The Go With Tourism Skills campaign was officially launched over breakfast at the Maritime Room in Auckland’s Viaduct on Friday.

Malcolm MacLeod, CEO of First Travel group says the vibe at FTG’s conference was the best he has experienced for years.

An incentive that will see eight New Zealand travel agents win a spot on an Abu Dhabi famil was a major focus of an Abu Dhabi – Etihad Airways roadshow in New Zealand last week.

Membership of both Skal Auckland and its Young Skal division continue to grow steadily, according to club president Michael Shah.

Alisha Russell has joined Eclipse Travel’s growing team in Christchurch as key account manager and travel designer.

The House of Travel Featherston Street team, plus clients, friends and suppliers gathered to celebrate the opening of their brand new store last week.

Recruitment, ‘pop up’ agents, and focusing on the positives were all discussion points when the Travel Agents Association of New Zealand (TAANZ) visited Tauranga trade recently.

New Zealanders are proving true to their reputation as travellers who look to get off the beaten track when it comes to rail travel, according to Richard Leonard, Rail Europe’s commercial director, Australasia.

• Kalena Finlayson, Momento Group; James... Kalena Finlayson, Momento Group; James...
• Komang Pri, Pacific World; winner... Komang Pri, Pacific World; winner...
• Andrea Russell (Centre) of Orbit... Andrea Russell (Centre) of Orbit...
•  

A mix of information, prize draws and presentations made up the annual DMS Connect workshop in Auckland yesterday.

Kiwi travellers to the United States are more independent, spend more locally, visit more states and like to get off the beaten track away from the main gateways.

Full members of the Travel Agents’ Association of New Zealand (TAANZ) have been asked to vote on changes to its membership and bonding criteria.

Archana Kawatra is director of sales and marketing at Pullman Auckland. Kawatra’s hotel career spans 20 years, and she has held several roles in the sales and marketing sector in brands such as The Leela, Taj Resorts & Palaces and Grand Hyatt in India.

Exotic Holidays is looking forward to a strong 2019 after what managing director Rahul Sharma describes as a ‘frantic’ end to last year.

Walking the walk and not just talking when it comes to sustainability and limiting any negative impact on environments and communities is one of the big focus points for NZ Travel Brokers after the group’s conference this year.

An event designed to battle the misconception that there is not much money to be made by selling domestic travel generated keen interest from agents in Auckland this week.
Some 100 rsvps were received for the event, hosted by Real Journeys and its partners, and the main (but not entire) emphasis was on selling Queenstown’s many activities and opportunities.
‘There is so much more to sell clients heading to Queenstown than a ticket,’ says Luke Ingram, sales executive of Real Journeys.

by Kathy Ombler

Park and ride, the shuttle transport system used to manage popular areas in national parks worldwide, is being investigated for Franz Josef Glacier.
Speaking at the Tourism Aotearoa Summit last week, Conservation Minister Eugenie Sage said with increasing numbers of visitors seeking out iconic areas DOC rangers have, in many places, become full time car park attendants. ‘DOC has to explore new ways of dealing with traffic congestion. Simply building more and more car parks isn’t sustainable.’

Building connections with local iwi is the right thing to do, says Michael Shah, director of sales and marketing, Cordis, Auckland.
A visit to Wellington last week confirmed for him that Cordis is ‘on the right track’ in its efforts to pursue stronger connections with tangata whenua, Ngāti Whātua.
Shah attended the Tourism Summit Aotearoa, then a Cordis-hosted function for the hotel’s Wellington-based clientele. Shah says he was impressed that so many speakers at the Tourism Summit were fluent in te reo, and expressed a hope that in the future his own team could be similarly

YOU Travel kicked off its partnership with Taste of Auckland on the waterfront over the weekend at the event’s 10th anniversary.

Travel agents and brokers in the greater Wellington region have the opportunity to ‘love Taupo’ early next month.

Real Journeys has established a new corporate identity called Wayfare to represent its tourism companies in the international market.

A plea to reduce the number of regional tourism offices (RTOs) protecting borders that nobody else cares about was made at the CAPA – Centre for Aviation Summit in Hilton Auckland this week.

A rare opportunity for travel brokers and independent travel agents to catch up with 80 plus suppliers under one roof in Auckland will be provided by an annual exhibition late next month.

A new SKAL International Club has been created in New Zealand, the first new club in at least 10 years.

Auckland Airport is likely to have a new domestic terminal, integrated with the international terminal, by 2023.

The burgeoning popularity of motorhome holidays with clients makes them the ‘new cruise’ when it comes to potential earnings for travel agents, according to rental specialist DriveAway Holidays.

Eclipse Travel reports a strong response to its annual spring sale, with a surge in enquiries particularly for Iceland and Scandinavia, Patagonia and the Arctic.

Regional New Zealand is set to benefit from an Air New Zealand and Tourism New Zealand joint venture campaign offering North American visitors a free domestic flight from Auckland to anywhere on the airline’s network.

Crater Rim Walks, which concentrates on half and full day walks around the Port Hills of Christchurch, is heading into its first full summer.