Travel sector’s boom an opportunity to attract people back to industry
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.
TAANZ: Strategy to attract staff top priority, member input to be sought
Developing a public relations and marketing strategy around attracting new people into the industry is a major priority for the Travel Agents’ Association of New Zealand, says chief executive officer Greg Hamilton.
‘We will be going out to engage with members about what they need on this front,’ says Hamilton.
‘Presuming members will not be able to replace all the gaps with experienced people, what skill sets do new people need and what does the training for that look like?
Coping with COVID-19
The Travel Agents Association of New Zealand (TAANZ) is engaging with government to get its short, medium and long term views around the ‘sustainable contribution of tourism and travel to the economy.
Staff shortage acute, but there are ways to fight it
The government needs to ‘lower its sights’ to make it easier for skilled international travel agents to work in New Zealand, says Andrew Olsen, chief executive of the Travel Agents Association of New Zealand (TAANZ).
Olsen says that try as the industry might, it cannot convince the government that there is a skill shortage in the industry.
‘Visas should be made easier to obtain in this area,’ he says.
NTIA: are we in for some surprises?
Some new faces are likely to emerge as industry forces when finalists of the National Travel Industry Awards (NTIA) are revealed on Monday, 12 June.
Voting closed last Friday and Travel Agents Association of New Zealand chief executive Andrew Olsen says that while he needed to be scant on detail it looked likely the awards would ‘bring up new names we haven’t seen.
‘It will probably surprise some people in the supply side in terms of emerging brands.
‘What we can say is that NTIA is here to stay and we are pleased with the way some of the agents and suppliers really got into their campaign.’
