ITC Industry News Bulletin #37

In this week’s airline, travel and tourism news, it’s all about the celebs. Taylor Swift recently gushed about NZ in an exclusive behind-the-scenes video about her music clip Out of the Woods, while Aussie celeb Megan Gale has joined forces with Tourism New Zealand to promote NZ cycle trails.

TOP STORIES

Taylor Swift endorsement a gift to NZ tourism

With more than 65 million followers on Instagram and a legion of devoted fans across the globe, Taylor Swift is one of the most influential celebrities of our time. It bodes well for New Zealand, then, when she publicly gushes about our country.

“We are in New Zealand on one of – not one of – the most beautiful beach I’ve ever been on in my life,” the star said in a video that’s recently emerged from her time filming the music video for Out of the Woods on Bethells Beach.

Tourism New Zealand marketing manager Andrew Fraser told 3 News that you can’t put a price tag on this type of exposure.

“Certainly someone of her scale, 74 million Facebook fans, choosing to come down here on holiday with her family before Christmas – money can’t buy authentic endorsement from a superstar,” Mr Fraser said.

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ITC Industry News Bulletin #36

In this week’s airline, travel and tourism news, Emirates has announced a new daily service between Dubai and Auckland, and newly released arrival statistics from December top off a great 2015.

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Auckland Airport welcomes new Emirates non-stop Dubai-Auckland daily service

From March 2, Emirates will offer a nonstop daily flight between Dubai and Auckland – a move Auckland Airport’s general manager Norris Carter believes will inject millions of dollars into the New Zealand economy.

“This new flight will help to significantly increase the number of people travelling between New Zealand and Europe, India and of course the Middle East. It will help to further stimulate travel, trade and tourism with these important and growing markets,” Mr Carter said in a press release.

He estimates the service will contribute “an additional $125 million every year to the New Zealand economy”.

The flight is expected to be one of the longest services on the market, taking approximately 17 hours and 15 minutes.

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ITC Industry News Bulletin #35

In this week’s airline, travel and tourism news, Air New Zealand launches a new recruitment campaign for flight attendants, the TIA chief executive shares his thoughts on the industry and much more.

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Air New Zealand’s new campaign calls for Kiwis who aspire to fly

Air New Zealand is on the lookout for new flight attendants to join its team. The airline recently launched a new recruitment video, highlighting the benefits of being a flight attendant – as told by real Air New Zealand staff.

The video is a great insight into the life of cabin crew and will no doubt inspire many aviation students to apply.

Air New Zealand’s general manager of cabin crew, Leeanne Langridge, reveals what the airline looks for in its candidates.

“We never stop pushing ourselves to find passionate, proud and dedicated flight attendants who represent our brand values, and go beyond to make a difference in our customers’ journey,” Ms Langridge said.

You can keep up-to-date with Air New Zealand’s new campaign by following the hashtag #AspireToFly on social media.

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Introducing Celeste Cakau

A warm welcome to Celeste Cakau – a new tutor at ITC’s City Campus.

Live. Laugh. Love. As cliché as it is, these three words are what sparked my interest in the airline, travel and tourism industry.

I started my working life as a teller/banking consultant, dealing with customers. I enjoyed playing with everyone else’s money, however this was not where my heart lay! LOVE. They say if you love what you do then it won’t feel like work, so… I decided to make a change.

In 2009, I completed a Tourism and Aviation Certificate with the Air New Zealand Aviation Institute and started working with Menzies as a Passenger Service Agent. In 2010, I became a flight attendant with Jetstar, flying Domestic and Trans-Tasman routes. I also worked part time in the office helping with rosters and banking (couldn’t stay away from the money!).

In 2012, I became a Cabin Crew Trainer, training new recruits and assessing current crew in emergency and standard operating procedures. This is where you could say the LIVE part came in as I was mainly based in Melbourne but also trained out of Brisbane. I was literally living out of a suitcase and couldn’t tell you what day of the week it was.

In the same year, I also helped to set up the Jetstar Auckland Base Training at the Air New Zealand Aviation Institute (coincidentally where I did my travel and tourism course). Glad to be back in NZ and wanting to continue teaching to help students prepare for the travel and tourism industry, I became a training facilitator with the Air New Zealand Aviation Institute. I have a passion for teaching and like to make learning fun by having a lot of laughs.

I was lucky enough in 2013 to tick my dream destination off my bucket list….. EGYPT – my first ever tour with Top Deck Tours. It was amazing!!

My advice to you is work hard so that you can play hard. The Travel and Tourism Industry is by far the most challenging & exciting industry to work in where no two days are the same.

– Celeste

ITC Industry News Bulletin #34

In this week’s airline, travel and tourism news, Tourism New Zealand celebrates a huge social media milestone, Air New Zealand impresses its customers with great coffee and much more.

TOP STORIES

TNZ exceeds staggering 2.25 million social media fans!

Tourism New Zealand is doing an amazing job of marketing our beautiful country on social media. The organisation has just surpassed 2.25 million fans, with 2 million ‘likes’ on Facebook and 253,000 followers on Instagram.

“To put it into context, our 2 million Facebook followers put us in the top 10 NZ Facebook pages – right up there with the All Blacks!” said director of marketing Andrew Fraser.

Mr Fraser said Tourism New Zealand is leveraging these channels to market NZ as a great destination to both prospective travellers and those currently visiting.

“The beauty of social media is that it enables us to engage with individuals at different stages of the holiday cycle, be it during planning or while they are here, and tailor our activity to fit with their changing requirements,” he said.

He added that he’s looking forward to seeing the organisation’s social media presence expand even further in 2016.

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How to dress professionally on a budget

ITC requires students to follow a corporate black and white dress code. Students look smart and professional every day, helping them gain confidence and prepare for a career in tourism.

“Style is a way to say who you are without having to speak.” – Rachel Zoe

The above quote may have been uttered by a celebrity fashion designer, but it is actually incredibly relevant to travel and tourism students.

As the tourism industry is largely customer-facing, employers look for staff who have excellent personal presentation. That’s why ITC enforces a corporate black and white dress code.

Every student is required to wear professional black and white clothing to college, every day. This helps to prepare students for the industry and ensures they always look fantastic for when employers visit campus.

We understand that finding corporate clothing isn’t easy for everyone, which is why we’ve come up with some tips to dress to impress – on a budget. You don’t need designer labels or a lot of money to look fantastic. Here are some ideas to help you update your wardrobe for 2016 at very little cost.

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ITC Industry News Bulletin #33

In this week’s airline, travel and tourism news, New Zealand hotels enjoyed great growth in 2015, affordable AirAsia X flights are coming to Auckland and much more.

TOP STORIES

NZ hotels increase yield & productivity in 2015

2015 was an excellent year for New Zealand hotels, according to new statistics published by the Tourism Industry Association (TIA). The average occupancy rate was 79 per cent – the highest it’s been in years. The revenue per available room was up 13 per cent compared to 2014.

TIA chief executive Chris Roberts says although the “upward trend is encouraging”, the industry still has room for improvement.

“Hotel revenues in New Zealand are still below what is being achieved in Australia and high land and construction costs in New Zealand remain a barrier,” Mr Roberts said.

He believes more investment in hotel infrastructure is needed in order to meet Tourism 2025 goals.

“It is essential that we encourage investment to improve the quality of current infrastructure to meet rising visitor expectations, as well as creating a positive environment for investment in new facilities,” he said.

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Tourism career tip: Get your New Zealand driver licence

Many airline, travel and tourism employers require their staff to have at least a restricted driver licence.

Many of our students are surprised to learn that no matter how good their grades, one important skill can significantly impact their chances of getting a great job: their ability to drive.

Holding a full New Zealand driver licence is a huge advantage if you’re interested in working in the airline, travel or tourism industry. For some employers, it’s non-negotiable; they won’t hire you unless you have your licence.

ITC Account Manager Ceri Jenkins advertises jobs to students from top industry employers. Often holding a driver licence is a requirement – even for jobs you wouldn’t expect driving to play a part.

“About 25 per cent of all jobs I advertise require people to have a restricted or full licence,” says Ceri.

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ITC Industry News Bulletin #32

In this week’s NZ airline, travel and tourism news, Air New Zealand has been named as one of the world’s safest airlines and we take a look at Kiwi travel habits heading into 2016.

TOP STORIES

Air New Zealand makes list of 20 safest airlines for 2016

2015 was an impressive year for Air New Zealand, which received many awards and accolades. The airline looks set to continue its success heading into 2016 – mere days into the new year, Air New Zealand has been named as one of the top 20 safest airlines in the world by AirlineRatings.com.

This independent website provides safety ratings for over 400 air carriers and compiles a list of the safest airlines every year. Qantas was ranked number one for the third year in a row, while the rest of the top 20 was listed in alphabetical order.

Other airlines to make the list include Emirates, Lufthansa, Singapore Airlines and Virgin Australia.

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Get 2016 off to a great start with a course in travel and tourism

New Zealand’s tourism industry is expected to grow exponentially in 2016. A qualification from ITC can help you pursue this exciting career path.

On behalf of everyone at the International Travel College of New Zealand (ITC), Happy New Year! We hope you enjoyed a lovely Christmas break.

Now that 2016 is underway, it’s a great time to start thinking about your goals for the year ahead. If you’ve been thinking about pursuing a career in airline, travel or tourism, it’s not too early to start working towards this dream.

ITC has classes starting as early as January 11 – that’s less than a week from now! Even if you’re not ready to enrol on this date, you could still arrange to come into the college for a chat. Every day our friendly course advisers meet with prospective students and chat to them about their interests and ambitions. It’s their job to provide students with advice about which course might best suit their needs.

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