Waitakere Resort & Spa welcomes new GM

Duncan Mackenzie has been appointed as the new General Manager at Waitakere Resort & Spa and will take over the reins from long-term Managing Director and owner Reg Nevill-Jackson on April 1st.

Waitakere Resort & Spa which has recently rebranded, is nestled in the Waitakere Ranges and is a short drive from Auckland city. The family owned property is managed by New Zealand owned company, Capstone Hotels & Resorts.
Duncan has an extensive hotel background most recently fulfilling the role of General Manager at Heritage Hanmer Springs. His New Zealand hotel experience ranges across most aspects of hotel operations, experience which Capstone Hotels’ Managing Director Clare Davies believes will stand him in good stead. “Waitakere Resort & Spa is a boutique 26 room property with a strong conference market as well as leisure and local focus. It’s the kind of property which requires a hands-on management approach and we are delighted to have Duncan’s depth of experience and enthusiasm on board to help us drive the hotel to the next level”.

Nevill-Jackson continues to own the property along with his family and will be stepping back after 24 years at the helm.

Capstone Hotels & Resorts work with 14 properties located throughout New Zealand along with a number of activity operators.

Media enquiries:
Clare Davies – 027 447 6386

Air New Zealand updates domestic network for Alert Level 3

Air New Zealand is adjusting its domestic network with New Zealand to enter Alert Level 3 next week.

The airline will operate a limited domestic schedule from Tuesday 28 April to enable essential travel only and to keep air freight moving.

The airline’s domestic schedule while the country is at Alert Level 3 is as follows –

Air New Zealand General Manager Networks Scott Carr says travel remains very restricted under Alert Level 3.

“We have made some slight adjustments to our domestic schedule in the coming weeks and that includes adding several services a week between Auckland and Napier and Auckland and Tauranga. We’ll also be adding additional capacity between Christchurch and Dunedin with flights in and out of Dunedin across the week.”

Before making a booking, customers are reminded to check the latest information on the travel and transportation section of the Government COVID-19 website and the COVID-19 hub on the Air New Zealand website.

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Issued by Air New Zealand Communications.

Email: media@airnz.co.nz  │  Phone: +64 21 747 320  │  Twitter: @AirNZMedia

NEW ZEALAND TRAVEL & EVENTS GROUP ACQUIRES EVENT MANAGEMENT COMPANY

Leisure Time Group, New Zealand, has purchased Auckland-based event management company; Lime & Soda.
The event management brand is the latest to join the group’s family of brands specialising in travel and events throughout New Zealand and Australia.

The Leisure Time Group operates five other brands including Leisure Time Tours; a New Zealand touring company with a travel club and its own fleet of motor coaches, Travel Time South Pacific; an Inbound Tour Operator creating quality ground arrangements for international wholesalers and travel agents, and Vokali; a Destination Management Company working with associations and corporate clients around the globe to create unforgettable event and incentive experiences.

Lime & Soda are a full-service creative event management company specialising in conferences, team building, corporate events, festivals, event styling, and event concepts.

The acquisition will strengthen Leisure Time Group’s events division and enable an even broader range of creative event offerings for their international and local clientele.

“Lime & Soda perfectly complements our overall events and M.I.C.E offerings enabling us to provide stronger and focussed resources for our event clients,” said Scott Mehrtens, Managing Director of Leisure Time Group.

“Our acquisition of Lime & Soda may appear to come at an unusual time with the country currently in COVID-19 lockdown, but we’ve been working on this for some time and while we’ve had to postpone some imminent events its really exciting to see the high level of enquiries we are receiving for events to be held later in the year.

“This investment adds to our capacity, geographic presence, dedicated events staff, and enables us to support increasing numbers of event and incentive enquiries and workload. I’m thrilled that Debra will be managing our events division, including our DMC brand; Vokali. Her longstanding experience in events and her strong creative flair is much appreciated by both our suppliers and clients.” Debra Dufty, previous business owner of Lime & Soda, will be joining Leisure Time Group and heading the Events/M.I.C.E team with immediate effect. Debra said she was excited to be joining forces with an outstanding, experienced and forward-thinking family-business. Debra said, “It’s very exciting to be working now as part of a larger team including experienced and passionate event and travel professionals. The strengths and knowledge within our team help us create and deliver fun and creative event solutions for our clients.”

-ENDS-

About Lime & Soda
Debra Dufty started the business in 2009 in Wellington, at that time trading as WATevents. The business relocated to Auckland eight years ago and in 2015 rebranded to Lime & Soda. The event management business focuses predominantly on corporate events such as conferences, meetings, roadshows, awards dinners, functions, theming, styling, team building, and public activations. They have an extensive client base and enjoy being known as a creative events company, working outside the box and defying the norm.

About Leisure Time Group
A family-owned events and travel business with a head office in Hamilton, Waikato and originally established in 1987 as Leisure Time Tours. Proud to have been providing inspirational and unforgettable experiences for over thirty years. In this time the business has grown significantly and is now represented by six quality travel and events brands.

For more information visit:

limeandsoda.co.nz/home

Media Contact:
Vicki Annison, Sales & Marketing Manager, Leisure Time Group
+64 27 443 5512 vicki @lttnz.co.nz

Air New Zealand updates domestic network

Air New Zealand is adjusting its domestic network with New Zealand now at Alert Level 4.

The airline will operate a limited domestic schedule from 3 April to enable essential travel only and to keep air freight moving. Overall, domestic capacity will reduce by 95 percent from pre-COVID-19 levels.

The airline’s domestic schedule while the country is at Alert Level 4 is as follows –

Air New Zealand Chief Revenue Officer Cam Wallace says the airline would usually fly more than 400 domestic flights daily prior to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Domestic travel is still an option but is extremely limited while New Zealand is at Alert Level 4 and we have updated our schedule to reflect this. In the coming weeks we will be operating a limited number of flights a day using our A320 jet aircraft, as well as our ATR and Q300 turboprop aircraft.

“Kiwis are respecting the Government’s essential travel only advice, however, we still ask customers to please check they qualify to travel under the essential services list before booking a ticket or going to the airport.”

Air New Zealand has also established a process whereby the airline will operate ad hoc domestic charter flights at the request of the New Zealand Government. These flights can be undertaken to all domestic airports within New Zealand within a matter of hours.

The airline has set up a dedicated COVID-19 information hub on its website and customers are encouraged to consult this in the first instance.

Ends

Issued by Air New Zealand Communications.

Email: media@airnz.co.nz  │  Phone: +64 21 747 320  │  Twitter: @AirNZMedia

The lights have been dimmed on Queenstown’s LUMA 

The lights have been dimmed on Queenstown’s award-winning sensory experience LUMA.

Scheduled to return to the Queenstown Gardens for its fifth year of illuminated art, sculpture and performance on Queen’s Birthday Weekend, the LUMA team has made the heartbreaking decision to pull the plug on this year’s event.

The group of passionate individuals which make up the LUMA Light Festival Trust have spent the past ten months dreaming, planning, scheming and preparing for Queenstown’s award-winning arts and culture event.

LUMA Trust chairman Duncan Forsyth said they had been “crossing our fingers” that LUMA20 would be able to defy the Covid-19 odds and bring a ray of bright, colourful light to the start of June.

“Today the LUMA Light Festival Trust made the difficult decision to cancel for 2020 and focus our energy on looking after each other, our whanau, our businesses and the wider Queenstown community,” he said.

“This will enable us to return brighter than ever in 2021. It’s a huge blow to our family of artists, partners, fellow instigators and funders. We’d like to take this chance to sincerely thank everyone who’s been part of the LUMA story so far.

“This is the beginning of the next chapter and we aim to begin working on LUMA21 as soon as the time feels right for us and the wider community.”

Duncan said discussions were already underway with major funders to agree on a rollover plan for 2021.

“The government’s decision to impose restrictions on incoming visitors and more recently, to discourage large gatherings, is the right one and we fully support it. Every effort must be made to slow down the spread of the virus and give our health system a chance to minimise harm to all New Zealanders.

“We’re fortunate to live in a community which knows how to look after people and it’s our shared responsibility to care for one another and above all stay safe.”

For further media information or high res images please contact:

Mandy Cooper
E: mandy@southernpr.co.nz
M: 0273377907

Air New Zealand brings forward suspension of Argentina service

Following increased government restrictions for travel into Argentina, Air New Zealand is suspending its Buenos Aires route with immediate effect.

NZ31 (Buenos Aires-Auckland) departing Ministro Pistarini Airport at 1145pm 18 March local time will be the airline’s final service until 30 June 2020.

Air New Zealand has upgauged the aircraft operating the service to the larger Boeing 777-300 aircraft which has 30 extra seats than the 777-200 originally scheduled.

Air New Zealand Chief Operational Integrity and Standards Officer Captain David Morgan says the suspension has been brought forward following additional border measures, which pose significant crew logistics and operational challenges.

“This is a rapidly evolving situation and we thank customers for their patience and understanding at this challenging time. Our teams are working through options for customers impacted by the earlier than planned suspension and will be in touch in coming days.”

Air New Zealand’s contact centre is operating at high volume. The latest Covid-19 information is published on the Travel Alerts section of the Air New Zealand website and customers are encouraged to check this and to get in touch with the airline via its social media channels in the first instance.

Customers booked via a travel agent (including online travel agents) should contact their booking agent.

Ends

Issued by Air New Zealand Communications.

Email: media@airnz.co.nz  │  Phone: +64 21 747 320  │  Twitter: @AirNZMedia

GCH Aviation Group expands into Luxury Charter Jet market

GCH Aviation is boosting its investment in tourism infrastructure by bringing a new Bombardier Challenger 604 charter jet to its Christchurch base and servicing New Zealand, Australia, the Pacific Islands and beyond.

The aircraft’s range is up to 4,000 nautical miles and can reach destinations such as Tahiti, all of Australia, most Pacific Islands and even up to Indonesia in one hop from Christchurch.

John Currie, Managing Director and founder of the GCH Aviation Group said the purchase of the aircraft may relieve frustration for business travellers who need to travel to a business meeting on the eastern seaboard of Australia and back in a day.  John said the uses for the aircraft are endless with 10 seats, the aircraft can be used for groups heading off for special events such as day trips to The Melbourne Cup, major motor racing, concerts and has great potential for national and international incentive business.

Considering recent events such as White Island and our own Christchurch Mosque shootings, GCH Aviation has also invested in a spectrum emergency transport kit for medical patients that require transport from anywhere in the Pacific region.  This medical transport service will be in conjunction with the GCH Aviation NZ Flying Doctors teams and the aircraft can turn from a luxury jet to a medical transport at a moment’s notice.  “It makes sense to us to have this service on standby as it can be supported by our existing air ambulance services” said John Currie.

GCH Aviation Group Chief Executive, Andrew Currie says the purchase of the Bombardier Challenger 604 jet continues to expand the GCH group’s tourism, commercial and medical aviation services across New Zealand and the Pacific Islands.

Andrew Currie said GCH Aviation is continuing to grow its infrastructure and focused on growing the premium tourism sector in New Zealand, Fiji and Vanuatu.

The group’s 9,000 sqm Christchurch facility has direct access to the Christchurch Airport runway, and dedicated helipads.

The jet purchase will complement Christchurch’s first full-service jet centre which services the South Island’s corporate aviation market, with hangar parking and overnight facilities for jets, a private terminal, ground handling, catering, plus Immigration & Customs services.

GCH Aviation is headquartered in Christchurch at an award-winning purpose-built base opened in 2017.

The group has other bases in Kaikoura, Nelson, Greymouth, Wellington, Vanuatu and Fiji, the company owns more than 30 aircraft and employs over 120 staff across its helicopter and fixed wing aircraft services which as well as tourism flights, also includes certified flight training, air rescue and ambulance operations.

Established in 1983, is a family owned company and GCH Aviation is the only aviation company in New Zealand and Fiji to be accepted into the prestigious Virtuoso travel network.  GCH Aviation is also the only company to hold the prestigious Helicopter Association of New Zealand Diamond Safety Award for 30+ years continuous service without injury accident to self, passengers or crew. It also holds a Qualmark Gold endorsement, and the GCH Aviation Group was a finalist in the New Zealand Tourism Awards 2019.

Website: http://www.gchaviation.com/

For further information and images, please contact:

Caroline Blanchfield

Group Marketing Manager

Tel: 021 914 188

Email: caroline.blanchfield@gchaviation.com

Tourwriter welcomes Chief Operating Officer, Pierre Malou

Tour operator software company, Tourwriter, are kicking off the next financial year with the introduction of their new Chief Operating Officer, Pierre Malou. Malou is the latest hire for the Wellington-based company, who have undergone a period of rapid growth following the 2019 launch of their new online itinerary builder, Minim.

Working with growing companies is familiar territory for Pierre, who has held various roles throughout Asia-Pacific where he led, supported, and inspired growing teams. Technology and innovation are second nature to Pierre; as well as having a wealth of commercial experience Pierre has also been instrumental in bringing cutting-edge medical and biotechnical advances to market throughout Australasia and parts of Europe. “His outside-the-box thinking, hands-on experience with new product releases, and results-driven approach were just a few of the characteristics that caught our attention,” said Glenn Campbell, CEO.

Pierre brings close to 20 years of experience in sales, marketing, innovation and business growth developed during various roles throughout multiple industry sectors. His broad skill set, innovative thinking and passion for growing businesses will be invaluable as Tourwriter enter what Chief Executive Officer, Glenn Campbell, believes will be “Tourwriter’s most significant year of growth to date.”

With a suite of three established tour operator software solutions and a global team of 45 to date, Tourwriter is entering FY2021 with plans to build on the solid foundations and momentum gained over the past 12 months; Pierre’s addition will be influential in this exciting next chapter.

“Tourwriter users are earning, on average, 3 times more revenue than their softwareless counterparts. Minim’s breathtaking, image-rich itineraries are attracting more and more tour operators globally. We’ve also very recently launched our new Minim Website Builder,” explained CRO, Adam Sirota, “It’s fair to say it’s been a big year for Tourwriter. Pierre’s addition to the team will allow us to focus on taking our suite of software solutions to the next level.”

The importance of this pivotal position meant it was crucial for the entire executive team to be involved in the final selection process. CEO, Glenn Campbell, said, “We were extremely impressed by Pierre’s professionalism, knowledge, passion, sincerity and warm personality and of course, his impressive track record for growing businesses,” he added, “We know Pierre is going to be a valuable addition to the team as we enter our 15th year.”

YoungTEC Chair and Vice Chair announced

The Board of the Young Tourism Export Council of New Zealand (YoungTEC) is delighted to announce that Zac Watson, ATEED has been appointed in the role of Chair and Lilly Douglas, Tourism New Zealand as Vice Chair.

Lynda Keene, Chief Executive of Tourism Export Council of NZ says, “It was great to meet the 2020 YTEC Board in Wellington last week and to hear how they came into the industry and their differing career paths. The calibre of the Board was impressive. Under Zac and Lilly’s leadership I can see the organisation is in very capable hands. There is a clear intent to grow the legacy and further develop business capability for future leaders of the industry. I’m looking forward to working with Zac, Lilly and YTEC Board.”

Zac hales from the North West of Auckland and is one of three Auckland based board members for 2020.  After completing a Bachelor of Tourism Management from Lincoln University in Canterbury, Zac returned to his home city, Auckland, and into his first tourism based role with Merlin Entertainments at Kelly Tarlton’s SEA LIFE Aquarium as the Sales Representative. This was followed by a move to the Haka Tourism Group with Haka Educational Tours as an Account Manager and then onto ATEED and his current role as Product Development Manager (Industry).

Mr Watson says “I am thoroughly looking forward to continuing and adding to the incredible work of previous YoungTEC Board members by providing a platform and a voice for young people in one of New Zealand’s largest and most vital industries. I am hugely passionate about what YoungTEC offers and fully intend to ensure we invest in the next generation of tourism professionals”.

After graduating from Victoria University with degrees in both commerce and tourism, Lilly started her career in the marketing team at the Department of Conservation. She then moved to Positively Wellington Tourism (now WellingtonNZ), where she was responsible for promoting the coolest little capital to international trade. Today, Lilly is part of Tourism New Zealand’s global whānau supporting the offshore trade teams to educate international trade on how to sell New Zealand.

Ms Douglas says “It’s an honour to be in this position and I am looking forward to working with the Executive team to continue building our YoungTEC community. We have so much talent within our tourism industry, and YoungTEC plays such an important role in developing and nurturing our young people as they navigate their career path in tourism.”

ENDS

About YoungTEC

YoungTEC is an organisation of young tourism professionals under the age of 36 years who are members of Tourism Export Council companies. A YoungTEC membership offers regular networking events with other young professionals in the tourism industry, educational workshops and a professional development programme complete with a mentor which gives you the most up-to-date tourism information and tips to take into your own workplace.

About the Tourism Export Council of New Zealand

The Tourism Export Council of New Zealand (TECNZ) is a trade association that represents the interests of the inbound tourism industry since 1971. Its membership includes inbound tour operators (Inbound Members) and attraction, activity, accommodation, transport suppliers, regional tourism organisations and tourism services providers (Allied Members). TECNZ members collectively handle most of New Zealand’s international visitor arrivals. www.tourismexportcouncil.org.nz.

For more information on YoungTEC and to find out how to become a member visit www.tourismexportcouncil.org.nz/ytec or go to their Facebook page www.facebook.com/youngtourismexportcouncil.

For more information please contact:

Louisa Turner – Tourism Export Council of NZ

027 480 7252

office@tourismexportcouncil.org,nz

Don’t bin it, share it

It’s all in the name, Free For All is a website where you list items to give away for nothing and you can get them at no cost.

We are a society of wasters. 75% of Landfill is not waste including huge amounts of perfectly good household items. And yet thousands of Kiwis go without some of the most basic household items.

It’s a bid to reduce the amount of material that goes to waste in New Zealand and help out those who are strapped for cash.

Free For All is an online marketplace for household items designed to avoid them reaching landfill before the end of their useful life.

Find out more and register here.