The probability that the travel industry will continue to thrive through 2023 may attract people back to the industry and help alleviate the staff shortage as the year goes on, says Travel Agents’ Association of New Zealand (TAANZ) president Brent Thomas.

Signs are growing that a number of sectors, including real estate, will be in for a tough year but continuing pent up demand and increased capacity means travel retailers are likely to avoid the worst impacts of economic slow-downs.

New Zealand’s travel retailers are welcoming another link to the all-important USA gateway of LAX, with spokespeople saying there is definitely a need for more capacity on the route.

At the same time, Delta Air Lines has the trade in its sights following the announcement that the carrier will launch daily flights between Auckland and Los Angeles from 30 October on Airbus A350-900 aircraft.

The travel and tourism sectors have greeted the Government’s five step opening plan with enthusiasm, with TAANZ president Brent Thomas saying this is the first time since March 2020 that the message has clearly been ‘the borders are open’.

However they have also pinpointed major ongoing challenges, particualrly the self isolation requirement. (See separate story this page)

The Travel Agents’ Association of New Zealand (TAANZ) has appointed Greg Hamilton as chief executive officer.

Hamilton brings to the organisation 35 years of experience in leadership positions across the travel, not-for profit, membership and political sectors, and comes to his new role having spent the past 11 years as general manager and general secretary of the National Party.

Here we are, the travel agency community, on the doorsteps of Christmas having weathered 21 months of the worst crisis ever to hit the industry. Travel Agents and Brokers have worked tirelessly on behalf of the New Zealand consumer to manage bookings through the nightmare of Covid. Changes in supplier conditions, border openings and then their subsequent closing have all been dealt with the customer centric focus the industry is renowned for.

Then Christmas was stolen for the travel agent and broker community. Not by the pandemic, not by the Government but, without even the respect of any consultation, by our single largest supplier and partner. A partner who the travel agency and broker community have whole-

The Travel Agents' Association of New Zealand (TAANZ) says agents will feel let down by the national carrier's announcement that it is reducing front end commissions next year.

The airline advised brand heads and TAANZ yesterday that from 1 July 2022 it is adjusting current New Zealand point of sale commission levels from 5% to 1% for long haul routes and 3% to 0% for short haul routes.

Travel Agents’ Association of New Zealand (TAANZ) president Brent Thomas says the changes announced to MIQ yesterday now mean that instead of 90% of people who apply for a spot in the system being disappointed, now 80% will be.

‘It defies logic that fully vaccinated people who test negative before they come here still have to spend seven days in MIQ before being able to self isolate,’ says Thomas.

‘It is still a lolly scramble without enough lollies – business travellers still won’t be able to travel and people still won’t have the ability to reconnect with  their loved ones.

Global Travel Network (GTN) is marking six years of operation today and reports that despite the tough conditions now the company is looking towards strong and bouyant business in the near future.

Rob Beecher and Allen Bell decided to start a travel group in 2015 that would be dedicated to looking after independent travel agents in New Zealand. With that objective in mind, GTN was set up in partnership with House of Travel.

Stated changes to New Zealand’s MIQ system will not resolve the current level of inequity and are not being received well by the travel agent community and other business interests, according to the Travel Agents Association of New Zealand (TAANZ).

‘We have had a number of agents expressing disappointment and frustration at both the old system and the new random system. We are engaging with Business New Zealand, who are also frustrated and coming up with joint submissions on how it could work better,’ says TAANZ president Brent Thomas.

The travel and tourism industries say the galvanising of the general public to take the jab is a silver lining in the grim reality of a Level 4 lockdown.

Travel Agents Association of New Zealand (TAANZ) president , Brent Thomas, says it is important to give credit where it’s due and acknowledge that the vaccination rate has picked up markedly.

‘From a travel industry point of view that means we will likely to be on target for the government to start opening the borders early next year as promised,’ says Thomas.