ITC Industry News Bulletin #22
In this week’s Industry News Bulletin, we take a look at tourism in the South Island, with both Queenstown and Christchurch experiencing growth and forecasting a busy summer season.
TOP STORIES
As construction projects inch closer to completion and companies begin to return to the CBD, the Christchurch business community is enjoying ‘a renewed sense of optimism’, the New Zealand Herald reports.
In this in-depth feature article, the Herald interviews a series of Christchurch businesspeople about the current climate, five years after the 2010 earthquake.
Canterbury Employers’ Chamber of Commerce general manager Leeann Watson told the Herald that businesses are now beginning to return to the CBD.
“All businesses had to move out of the central city because it was closed down for a considerable amount of time, so they didn’t have any choice but to go and set up elsewhere,” Ms Watson said.
“What we’re seeing now is those businesses have come back and are coming back.”
Christchurch’s regeneration is a positive sign for the tourism industry, with more people visiting the Garden City each year. Christchurch and Canterbury Tourism chief executive Tim Hunter is expecting this summer to be another busy season.
Queenstown: Hoteliers preparing for record summer
In more South Island news, the beautiful city of Queenstown is also gearing up for a massive summer, with local business leaders feeling hugely optimistic about the season ahead.
General manager of the Sofitel, Vincent Macquet, told the Otago Daily Times that he believes this summer will surpass last year’s. Excited about the coming months, Mr Macquet is encouraging tourism businesses to work together to ensure the region can still deliver exceptional service.
“I think the challenge here for us operators is to make sure we maintain our level of luxury and service during those peak times, and we’re not seen as a destination that’s overpriced but not delivering on expectations,” Mr Macquet said.
Hotels are experiencing demand from all over the world, but in particular from the United States and South America, the Otago Daily Times reports.
IN BRIEF
United Airlines flying back to NZ
The partnership between Air New Zealand and United Airlines is growing stronger, with United to start flying regularly from Auckland to San Francisco from July 2016. Air New Zealand chief executive Christopher Luxon said both airlines are working together to cross-promote their services on this flight path. Read more.
The Hospitality New Zealand and Motel Association amalgamation is official
Hospitality New Zealand and the Motel Association have joined forces, with official documents signed late last week. Together, the two organisations have a combined membership of more than 3,300 people. Read more.
Details of Charles and Camilla’s trip to New Zealand next month revealed
The Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall are scheduled to spend 12 days in New Zealand in November. Details of their trip were released yesterday (Wednesday October 14), revealing the couple will be spending time in Wellington, Dunedin, Nelson, Ngaruawahia, New Plymouth and Auckland. Read more.
Bollywood star named as new tourism ambassador
Tourism New Zealand has selected a new tourism ambassador for India: Sidharth Malhotra, a popular Bollywood star. With over 4.3 million followers on social media, Sidharth is expected to significantly raise the profile of New Zealand in his home country. Read more.
Air New Zealand rolling out 14 new domestic Koru lounges
Air New Zealand is investing in a total of 20 new Koru lounges – 14 at home and 6 abroad. This is expected to cost $100 million over four years. Air New Zealand chief executive Christopher Luxon said it made sense to start building some new lounges now as “some of the airports are in expansion at the moment and we’re just trying to make sure we align with their expansion plans”. Read more.
Top New Zealand Instagram locations revealed
A list of the most ‘Instagrammed’ locations in New Zealand has been released, providing interesting insight into our popular scenic spots. Hobbiton secured the top spot, with more than 80,000 pictures snapped here. This was closely followed by Wanaka (75,000 pictures). TVNZ has more details. Read more.
Posted in News | Tagged Air New Zealand, Christchurch, Hospitality New Zealand, Industry News, Queenstown, Tourism New Zealand | Leave a reply