ITC Industry News Bulletin #57

In this week’s airline, travel and tourism news, Air New Zealand wins big, Wellington prepares for a tourism boom, and much more.
TOP STORIES

Air New Zealand wins International Airline of the Year award
Air New Zealand won both International Airline of the Year and Domestic Airline of the Year at the Roy Morgan Customer Satisfaction Awards 2016.
More than 13,000 New Zealanders gave their opinion on brands and companies, which led to 21 businesses being awarded on the night. Air New Zealand was the only company to win two titles, continuing “its streak as the top domestic airline”.
Carrie Hurihanganui, the general manager for customer experience at Air New Zealand, says it’s great to see the airline’s efforts are being recognised by its customers.
“We have been very focused on enhancing our customers’ journeys, including making substantial investments in new aircraft, new and refreshed lounges, and innovative technology,” she explained.

Chamber of Commerce Chief Exec warns Wellington to prepare for tourism
Wellington Chamber of Commerce chief executive, John Milford, says the city must prepare itself for “the tourist boom to end all tourist booms”.
His comments come after months of record-breaking tourism statistics. In May alone, 193,000 visitors arrived in the country – up a full 10.6 per cent on the same time last year.
Demand for beds in hotels and other accommodation options in Wellington is expected to jump from 1 million to 1.3 million. While Mr Milford believes Wellington has the potential to attract high numbers of tourists, he’s concerned that the city may lack the basic infrastructure to manage so many people.
“We must find ways of encouraging the developments we need to grab this chance,” he said.
IN BRIEF
Rotorua to become NZ’s top mountain biking destination
Rotorua is already internationally regarded as a fantastic mountain biking destination, but its position as New Zealand’s number one spot may be about to be made official. Cycling New Zealand has proposed building a Mountain Bike National Performance Hub in Rotorua, and an official announcement is expected in September or October. Read more
Teachers call for more tourism training
Tourism is one of New Zealand’s biggest exports, but teachers believe more could be done to entice young Kiwis to work in the field. Currently, tourism is not recognised as an accredited subject for university entrance, and one university professor is calling for more co-ordination between school systems to encourage students to consider tourism as a career. Read more
Tourism New Zealand will soon take 38 of the country’s best travel operators around 15 cities in the USA, on a road trip designed to promote NZ tourism. The roadshow will feature various trade and consumer events to spread the message. Read more
McLean’s Mansion may be saved for tourist attraction
The McLean’s Mansion is a renowned historic building in Christchurch that was heavily damaged in the 2011 earthquake, and its fate has been up in the air ever since. The current owners are attempting to sell the 116-year-old building, and one group has plans to turn it into one of the country’s leading art galleries. Read more
The Wyndham debuts a new brand in New Zealand
The Wyndham Hotel Group has just launched the Garden brand in Auckland. This upper-midscale accommodation option is set to open its doors at the start of 2018, and plans to focus on all those ‘little details’ of travel that make a stay memorable. Read more
Posted in News, Travel and Tourism News | Tagged Air New Zealand, Christchurch, Rotorua, Wellington |2 Responses to “ITC Industry News Bulletin #57”
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that’s really good to hear