Meet Mike Matata – Inspiring the Next Generation of Tourism Professionals in Northland

At ITC, we are proud to have passionate industry professionals guiding our students toward exciting careers in tourism, aviation, travel and hospitality. One of those incredible educators is Mike Matata, who delivers our full-time programme in Whangārei and has helped many students pathway into tourism careers, airline roles, internships and even paid overseas exchanges.

With decades of industry experience and a genuine passion for helping young people succeed, Mike brings real-world knowledge and inspiration into the classroom every day.

A Passion for Aviation and Travel from a Young Age

Mike’s love for the tourism and airline industry started early.

“I was very fortunate that my family travelled frequently overseas when I was a kid and decided this was the industry for me, although I wasn’t sure which part at the time because the industry is so large.

The real passion started as a very young teenager, spending many weekends riding my bike out to Auckland International Airport with a friend plane spotting. My love for commercial aircraft and airlines became overwhelming, and that’s when my passion for the airline industry was born. I have never lost that passion.”

A Career Across Airlines, Cruises and Tourism

Mike’s tourism journey began when he studied a Diploma in Travel Management at ATI. While studying, he secured a Managerial Cadetship with Atlantic & Pacific Travel, one of New Zealand’s largest travel wholesalers and agencies at the time.

His dream of working for an international airline soon became reality.

“After three years at A&P, I was employed as a Sales Executive with Thai Airways. It was my dream job — working in sales for a large international airline.”

From there, Mike went on to work with several major international airlines including Virgin Atlantic Pacific, Ansett and America West Airlines before moving into the cruise sector.

“My love for the cruising industry started with Holland America Cruise Line, Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines and Marco Polo Cruises. I’ve also worked across many different parts of the industry including wholesale, retail, inbound tourism and GSA operations.”

Today, Mike brings this wealth of industry experience into the classroom for ITC students in Northland.

Preparing Students for Real Industry Success

Mike believes one of the most important parts of teaching is helping students build confidence, professionalism and practical skills that employers are genuinely looking for.

“With continuous training and experience across different parts of the tourism and travel industry, I feel well qualified to prepare students for the workforce.

I focus heavily on practical skills and interpersonal communication — not just basic customer service, but strategies that help students confidently work with clients, solve problems and communicate professionally.”

Mike also trains students in airline, hotel and cruise reservation systems, travel product knowledge, presentations and one-on-one consultation skills to ensure they are work-ready.

Mike with our Whangarei student at Industry Expo

Watching Northland Students Grow

One of Mike’s favourite parts of teaching is seeing students develop over the year.

“Seeing how much they grow within the first four to six months is incredible. The confidence and knowledge they gain compared to when they first start is amazing.

Another highlight is seeing students offered employment opportunities and internships at the end of the year.”

Sharing a Passion for the Industry

For Mike, teaching is about more than qualifications, it’s about helping students realise they can achieve careers they may never have thought possible.

“I love sharing my knowledge of the industry with the next generation and helping students achieve their dream of being part of such an exciting industry.”

He also believes Northland students bring something truly special to tourism.

“It’s important to teach students how to work professionally while still keeping the warm, hospitable nature that Northland people are known for. That is very special.”

Mike’s Advice for Future Tourism Students

Mike encourages students to see study as an investment in their future.

“One year is minimal in a lifetime of employment. Preparing and learning about the industry before entering it can make a huge difference.

Having advanced knowledge, practical skills and industry experience is invaluable to employers when selecting candidates for jobs.”

Through his passion, experience and dedication, Mike continues to make a lasting impact on students across Northland,  helping them build confidence, gain industry skills and take their first steps toward exciting careers in tourism and aviation.

Learn from experienced tutors like Mike at ITC

Study at ITC, where the entire team has experience in the industry and is excited to share everything they’ve learned with you!

 We’re enrolling now – so register today and kick start your own career in tourism and travel!

Meeting Demand, Supporting Northland: A Second Tourism Intake for Whangārei

ITC’s Mel with her Whangarei Academy

The strength of any industry lies in its people — and right now, New Zealand’s tourism and aviation sectors are thriving. With that growth comes opportunity, optimism, and an urgent need for skilled, job-ready professionals who are ready to step into exciting careers.

At the International Travel College (ITC) Whangārei Campus, we’re proud to share some exciting news: a second full-time Tourism intake will launch in July 2026, following overwhelming demand for our February start, which filled earlier than expected.

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Meet Esther, our dedicated Schools Coordinator

ITC leads in delivering Tourism Resources, Experiences, Short Courses and so much more.  Seniors can experience tourism or aviation and make an informed choice for a potential tourism or airline career. We have a team of dedicated people, we like to call the ‘Schools Team’. 

We consistently receive amazing feedback about our quick turn around of our schools products and services.  When you reach out to our dedicated schools team for support you’ll have the pleasure of emailing our Schools Coordinator, Esther.  Esther takes pride in all she does to help schools receive all they need in a timely fashion.  Read more to learn a little more about our amazing Esther Johnston.

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ITC students make a splash volunteering at the Brand USA Agent Expo

ITC students at the Brand USA expo.

The Brand USA Agent Expo was hosted in Auckland on the 10th of February this year, and it was a huge success with several hundred travel agents and over 40 exhibitors from the USA for the event.

This is a chance for US partners to reach key trade contacts in the New Zealand travel industry, and it takes a huge amount of work to pull together.

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ITC delivers a Customer Service workshop for the Explore Group

The Explore Group during the Customer Service workshop with ITC’s Mel Jenkins.

ITC is known for offering exceptional qualifications and certifications to high school and college students in New Zealand – but we also often provide workshops for businesses as well.

Recently, we delivered a Customer Service workshop for the Explore Group. The Explore Group is a tourism operator based in Auckland, Bay of Islands and in the Whitsunday Islands Australia that offers incredible cruises and sailing adventures around in these amazing locations.

We first worked with the Explore Group back in 2017, and have continued to help develop their customer service skills ever since.

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ITC students share their feedback from the recent Armageddon Expo

ITC students volunteering at the AJ Hackett attraction at the recent Armageddon Expo.

The annual Armageddon Expo is massive science fiction and fantasy fair, with highlights from comics, movies, TV, animation, and gaming.

Recently, Sales Manager for AJ Hackett Leo emailed the team at ITC asking if any students would be interested in volunteering to help out at an activation he was planning to host at the event. And we had more than a couple of volunteers!

“Stacey and Brooklyn came all the way from our campus in Whangarei to volunteer on the Sunday, Charelle and her friend Syderra snapped up Saturday even though they were supposed to be celebrating Charelles birthday that day and Xavier (an ITC graduate) and Carlos had never met before but had the best time together on the Friday. The students all had a great time and learnt so much from Leo and Sam at A J Hackett. A win win all round!” explained Employment Consultant Sarndra.

We also asked the students about their experiences, so here’s what they had to say!

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Why ITC’s newest students chose us!

Our new city campus class looking great and ready to study!

November classes have begun and are in full swing of their induction. We have some very excited students who are ready to take on a year of adventures with ITC, and we welcome them to our whanau.

We pride ourselves in our student experience. Our dedicated, well-trained team are so excited to see where we can take them all, so to get started, we asked the students why they chose us in the first place, and what their career goals are!

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ITC campaigns for tourism education and awareness at major industry event

ITC’s Key Stakeholder, Ceri Jenkins, speaks at the BYATA conference.

The Backpacker Youth Adventure Tourism Association (BYATA) recently hosted its annual conference, and invited ITC’s Key Stakeholder Manager, Ceri Jenkins, to speak at the event.

The fact that ITC was asked out of all the tourism education providers in Aotearoa is a testament to the reputation of our college. Ceri took this opportunity to speak on behalf of tourism education as a whole, and to raise awareness for the importance of strong qualification options for young Kiwis interested in the industry.

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Apply now for your chance to win an ITC Scholarship!

Apply for an ITC Scholarship

ITC and Study From Home have just opened up applications for some amazing scholarship opportunities!

As the New Zealand tourism industry has got back into the swing of things, businesses are seeking new and qualified staff such as graduates from ITC and Study From Home.

“New Zealand continues to be one of the world’s top tourism destinations, and with the borders open, international visitors are returning. We need to support our sector to rebuild a more resilient future that leaves people, communities and the environment better off than before,” Peeni Henare said.

We are doing our bit to support our industry, ITC is helping people with a passion for joining the Travel & Tourism industry gain first-class skills and knowledge. We want to help even more by giving away multiple scholarships for full-time students, which are worth up to $5,600 per student. Not only that, it’s also on top of the Fees Free program, so you could have the first part of your study covered by Fees Free, and the second part partially paid for by a scholarship!

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ITC chosen to provide training to Auckland’s Pacific workers with Project Ikuna

Project Ikuna will help to train and upskill Auckland’s Pacific workers.

ITC is excited to announce that we have been chosen as a micro-credential provider for Project Ikuna – the training programme for Auckland’s Pacific workers delivered through Tātaki Auckland Unlimited.

Being chosen to provide training for Project Ikuna attests to our reputation for excellent training programmes and our involvement in the community.

Read on to learn more about what Project Ikuna is, how we’ll be contributing, and why we were chosen as a training partner.

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