An ITC love story: Mel & Ceri get engaged!

A sky-high proposal – Mel and Ceri get engaged at 192m above the ground!

Love is in the air at the International Travel College, with Account Manager Ceri Jenkins and Marketing & Schools Leader Mel Fey celebrating their engagement.

Ceri got down on one knee 192 metres above ground – he surprised Mel on top of the Sky Tower while they were doing the SkyWalk.

“I was super nervous about the height but more afraid of the ring not fitting. As you will see on the video, it took a little squeezing on – happy to say with the string now off it, it now fits perfectly!” says Ceri.

Little did Mel know, Ceri had been planning the surprise proposal for 9 months. He enlisted the help of the team at SkyWalk, who discreetly attached the engagement ring to his SkyWalk jumpsuit.

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ITC grad lands amazing cruise ship job AND is off to Disney World!

Shania Wheatley’s tourism career is off to a flying start thanks to her motivation and her qualification from ITC.

It’s been an amazing year for Shania Wheatley. In mid-2016, she packed her bags and moved from Hamilton to Auckland to study tourism at the International Travel College – and she hasn’t looked back.

Since arriving in Auckland, she’s graduated with a Level 4 tourism qualification, landed a job in the cruise ship industry, and been accepted into the Disney Cultural Exchange Program.

“Moving from Hamilton was a hard decision. Living on my own, working, and studying at the same time was a challenge – but it was well worth it,” says Shania.

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ITC Flight Attending Short Course takes off around New Zealand

ITC tutors teach Flight Attending in three locations at the same time. From left to right: Daniel in Nelson, Mel in Whangarei, and Ali in Taranaki.

The International Travel College (ITC) may be headquartered in Auckland and Whangarei – but its courses are inspiring high school students all around the country.

Every month, the ITC Tourism Education Team travels to different areas of New Zealand to teach a variety of short courses.

In May, the ITC Flight Attending Short Course was delivered in three regions at the same time – Taranaki, Nelson, and Whangarei.

Over the course of two days, ITC tutors Ali, Mel, and Daniel all taught the same course in different locations.

“That’s what we call efficiency!” laughs Mel, the Tourism Education Team leader.

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“Disney here we come!”: 14 ITC graduates accepted on Disney Cultural Exchange Program

Some of the talented ITC graduates who are heading to Disney World in August. 

Hey, Disney World – are you ready for the awesomeness that’s coming your way?

14 talented ITC graduates have been accepted on the Disney Cultural Exchange Program, and 13 will arrive in Orlando in August (unfortunately one student cannot make it). 

ITC graduates have been going to Disney World for many years, but this is the first time such a large group is going at once.

“It’s brilliant to see so many students taking up the opportunity to live and work at Disney World,” says ITC Employment Consultant Catherine Alder.

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All about the New Zealand Certificate in Travel (Level 4)

The New Zealand Certificate in Travel (Level 4) will prepare you for an exciting career in airline, travel and tourism – in New Zealand and overseas.

Do you love to travel?

Do you dream about working overseas one day?

Would you like to learn about New Zealand tourism and international tourism markets?

If you’re enthusiastically nodding yes, then the New Zealand Certificate in Travel (Level 4) could be the perfect course for you.

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Lesley’s Travel Journal: Ho Chi Minh City, Taipei, Beijing, Seoul and Busan

ITC International Marketing Manager, Lesley Brough, recently visited the Great Wall of China during a business trip to Asia.

Every few months, ITC International Marketing Manager Lesley Brough travels overseas to meet with international students and agents. Her last trip was to Ho Chi Minh City, Taipei, Beijing, Seoul, and Busan. Below, she shares some highlights from the trip.

It was a bit of a whirlwind trip! I was away for two weeks so I didn’t have a lot of time in each city, but I did get to do a few cool things.

The purpose of the business trip was to attend workshops with Quality English/Education in Ho Chi Minh City and Taipei, as well as visit agents in China and Korea. The workshops were kind of like speed dating with agents and companies, to get to know each other and see if there’s potential to work together in the future.

Here’s a glimpse into what I got up to in each city.

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ITC students experience Auckland’s busy cruise ship season

When cruise travellers anchored in Auckland, several ITC students were among the check-in agents who helped them disembark and board their vessel. 

Many cruise ship holidaymakers were greeted by enthusiastic ITC students when they disembarked and boarded in Auckland over the busy cruise season.

Several ITC students worked as check-in agents for ID Tours and Renaissance Tours – meaning they were right on the customer service frontline to meet arriving and departing passengers.

“Students were required to check passengers onto the cruise ships and also give directions to passengers at the cruise terminals,” says ITC Account Manager Ceri Jenkins, who helped organise this paid work experience opportunity.

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ITC tutors bring love of tourism to the classroom

ITC tutors LOVE tourism! ITC supports them to undertake formal teacher training so they can share this passion with students. 

Every tutor at the International Travel College of New Zealand (ITC) shares at least one trait in common: a love of tourism.

ITC employs tutors based on their passion for the industry – they are tourism professionals first, teachers second.

It’s their boundless enthusiasm for tourism that makes them so great in the classroom. Their passion for the subject is infectious, and this resonates with the students.

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TRENZ kicks off in Auckland with help from ITC students

Hundreds of tourism professionals are in Auckland this week for TRENZ 2017, and several ITC students are volunteering at the event to make sure it runs smoothly. 

New Zealand’s biggest travel and tourism trade event, TRENZ, kicks off in Auckland today – and ITC students are on-hand to make sure everything runs smoothly.

A group of 18 high-performing students have been chosen to assist as volunteers. They will support the presenters and attendees by:

• Helping the sellers set up their stands
• Manning key information areas such as coat check and food stalls
• Assisting with any last-minute errands or requests

ITC Account Manager Ceri Jenkins says volunteering at TRENZ is a great way for students to learn more about the exciting travel and tourism industry. (more…)

‘Freedom Seat’ activist inspires ITC staff and students

Naresh Kumar recently spoke to ITC students about his experience riding the length of New Zealand to raise money for charity.

Staff and students at the International Travel College of New Zealand (ITC) were recently inspired by the incredible story of Naresh Kumar from Freedom Seat. Naresh delivered a presentation at ITC’s City Campus in early April, where he spoke about his journey.

On January 16, Naresh set out to ride the length of New Zealand on a tandem bike named ‘Kindness’ to raise money for Tearfund, a not-for-profit leading the fight against human trafficking. He cycled from Cape Reinga to Bluff – an impressive 3,300 kilometres.

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