Experts predict gap between tourism demand and available tourism workers

With New Zealand’s ongoing tourism boom, experts are predicting a shortage of skilled workers to keep up with the demand.

New Zealand’s tourism is absolutely booming. We’ve seen nothing but constant positive news stories about how much tourists are spending in New Zealand, rising visitor numbers, and more and more international conferences being held here.

It’s no wonder that now, experts are predicting that we simply won’t have enough workers in the tourism and travel industry to accommodate all of these visitors.

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Building a Future Through Tourism: Savannah’s Story

From Classroom Dream to Tourism Career: Savannah’s Journey

Savannah with her Academy classmates

Some journeys begin with a single step. For Savannah Jackson, her journey into tourism began with a simple school workshop and a dream that would eventually lead her to a career welcoming visitors from around the world.

Today, Savannah works at the iconic Hundertwasser Art Centre in Whangārei, but her path to success has been one of determination, passion, and perseverance.

A proud young mum to her son, Savannah has always understood the importance of creating opportunities for a brighter future. Her love for tourism was sparked during her school years when a Flight Attendant visited her classroom to share stories about the travel and tourism industry.

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Meet Mercedes Laing, mother of two and Level 5 ITC student (with plans to become a pilot)!

Mercedes is a seriously impressive ITC student – with plans to become a pilot!

Mercedes Laing is the kind of student who is exciting to watch. She has returned to study after raising her children, is about to graduate from Level 4, and will be getting started on her Level 5 training in July.

But that’s not all – she has aspirations to fulfil her lifelong dream of becoming a pilot, and we couldn’t be more excited to be the first step on that journey, and to cheer her along the way!

For anyone who has ever thought about returning to study, or wondered if it was too late to make a career change, read on for some serious career inspiration!

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5 statistics that will make you want to study travel and tourism!

Our Airport Training Centre is just one of the many perks of studying at ITC!

Every year, the Ministry of Business, Innovation, & Employment releases their annual Tourism Sentiment Survey. This survey offers an insight into how Kiwis are feeling about all things tourism, and if the recent release is anything to go by, it’s an exciting time to be in the industry!

Here are just 5 of the coolest facts from the latest survey results!

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Study Tourism or Aviation in 2026 and Make the Most of Fees Free Before It Ends

If you’ve been thinking about starting a career in tourism, travel, or aviation, now is the perfect time to make your move.

The New Zealand Government has confirmed that the current final-year Fees Free scheme will end after 2026. That means students who complete an eligible qualification during the 2026 calendar year can still apply for Fees Free, but future intakes may not have the same opportunity.

For students enrolling in ITC’s June and July 2026 intakes, there’s still time to complete your qualification by the end of 2026 and potentially access Fees Free before the scheme finishes.

Whether you want to study on campus or study from home anywhere in New Zealand, these upcoming intakes are designed to help you get qualified quickly and start building your future in one of New Zealand’s largest and most exciting industries.

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Meet Rose, the student who found ITC and happiness after years trying other paths!

Rose tried lots of study and work options, but wasn’t truly happy until she switched to Travel and Tourism!

It’s incredibly tough to know what you want to do with your life at just 18. Once you get a little older, you realise how challenging it is to have to try to pick a career path at that age – and then stick with it forever!

Rose was one of those students. Throughout her 20s, she studied all manner of pathways, and worked in all manner of jobs. But she knew none of it was really for her. That’s when she took interest in travel and tourism, discovered ITC, and made the life-changing decision to enrol.

Rose’s story is a particularly inspiring one, and one that will resonate with anyone who has ever been unsure of which path to take! (more…)

Switching to ITC: Your FAQs Answered

Thinking about switching to ITC? Here are some of the most common questions we hear!

Note about Fees Free: The Government has confirmed that final-year Fees Free will finish at the end of December 2026. Learners who complete an eligible provider-based qualification or work-based programme in 2026 will remain able to apply for their final-year Fees Free entitlement within 12 months of completion, up to 31 December 2027.

Sometimes we chat with students who are already studying at a tertiary level, but want to learn more about how we do things at ITC.

These students might already be studying travel and tourism, or they might be enrolled in a completely different course. They might be local and keen to join us on campus, or they might live elsewhere in Aotearoa and want to try our distance learning option with Study From Home.

Whatever the case, we’re always here to answer your questions – and perhaps even to welcome you to our ITC whanau!

Here are some of the most common questions we hear, and how we answer them.

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Free ITC Open Days Coming Up! Stop in to Check Out Your Future!

Want a peek at what your future might look like?

Join us for a free Open Day at one of our campuses – or online!

ITC will soon be hosting Open Days where potential students (and their friends and whanau) can drop in to learn about your career opportunities and course options, meet your tutors, and take a guided tour of the campus.

It’s a great way to get a feel for what studying with us will look like, all before you enrol, and all without paying a cent!

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Take your first step into the world’s fastest growing sector!

Travel and tourism is one of the world’s biggest employers, and the fastest growing sector!

It’s a strange time for anyone starting their careers right now. The rise of AI has started to change the jobs landscape, which might be making it scary for people making career decisions.

And then there’s tourism and travel.

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Introducing Birthe Bakker – Our Newest Botany Team Member!

Birthe Bakker is our Newest Botany Team Member, bringing a huge amount of travel and tourism experience to the team.

It’s been an exciting time here at ITC, as we recently welcomed a new Auckland City Tutor Fiona, and now we’re introducing our newest member of the team at Botany – Birthe Bakker!

Birthe is from the Netherlands, and has international experience helping travellers with personalised itineraries. She also brings a PhD to the team!

She is going to play a key role in educating and supporting our next generation of Kiwi travel and tourism experts, so we asked her a few quick questions to learn more. (more…)