Tourism Export Council of New ZealandUpdates - Tourism Export Council of New Zealand

Tourism industry influencers rediscovering Ōtautahi Christchurch

Christchurch’s profile as an international destination will be in the spotlight this week as New Zealand’s tourism experts come to the city to explore the regions tourism attractions.

The Tourism Export Council (TECNZ) will hold it’s sold out annual conference in Christchurch for the first time in years and Chief Executive Judy Chen says the industry is looking forward to seeing the redevelopment that has taken place.

“Our members are the companies that bring valuable international visitors to New Zealand and they will be looking for new attractions and activities to add to their itineraries” said Ms Chen. “This is one of the most influential tourism conferences held in New Zealand, and we are pleased to be able to show delegates first-hand the tourism products available in the Christchurch and Canterbury region”.

“Welcoming the Tourism Export Council to Ōtautahi Christchurch is a great opportunity to showcase our ever-evolving city” says Christchurch Mayor Lianne Dalziel.

“We love being a host city for events like these, that combine business and pleasure, and then seeing people return to explore all the possibilities we have to offer as a city and as the international gateway to the South Island of New Zealand.”

The concept of Tiaki, meaning to preserve, foster and protect, is the theme for this year’s conference. A jointly promoted effort by the tourism industry, the Tiaki Promise was launched last year to show New Zealanders and visitors alike how they can care for New Zealand while they are travelling throughout the country.

“We are looking to our members to incorporate all aspects of Tiaki into their businesses whether it’s implementing sustainable business processes, developing local community partnerships or enriching the cultural element of their products” says Judy Chen.

Speakers include adventurer, entrepreneur and strategist, Jamie Fitzgerald, Christchurch based educator Jason Pemberton, Louise Aitken of Akina Foundation, Debbie Ngarewa-Packer of Te Runanga o Ngai Ruanui, Peter Shelley, Managing Director of the Australian Tourism Export Council, Stephen England-Hall, Tourism New Zealand, Sharon Zollner, Chief Economist at ANZ and Billie Jordan, founder of the Hip Op-eration dance crew.

The conference will be held in Christchurch on the 14th and 15th of August 2019 at Rydges Latimer Christchurch. Local tourism product familiarisations will be held prior to and after the event.

ENDS

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 please contact:

Judy Chen

CEO Tourism Export Council of New Zealand

027 6644 836

Alpine Luxury Tours specialises in private airport transfers, guided day tours for sightseeing, Multi Day Experiences, wine experiences, hiking, heli hiking and heli-adventures to Exclusive locations throughout Queenstown, Fiordland, Mount Cook National Park and the South island. Whether it’s a custom heli-hike tour to Middle earth waterfalls or a scenic journey through Central Otago’s spectacular vineyards, you’re in safe hands with our knowledgeable local guides.

VisitorPoint commits to the Living Wage

New Zealand brochure distribution company VisitorPoint officially committed to paying its staff the Living Wage from July 1.

All VisitorPoint staff are now entitled to an hourly rate minimum of $21.15, considerably more than the minimum wage of $17.70.

General manager Jenni Powell says the welcome change is part of the company’s pledge to Tourism Industry Aotearoa’s (TIA) sustainability commitment goals which includes employment.

“We have an extremely loyal and committed workforce which we appreciate immensely,” she says.

“As a company we genuinely believe our staff deserve this commitment from us as they are our most important asset, and we’re excited to be able to support them in this way.

All future employees will also be entitled to the new wage.

VisitorPoint has decided to forge ahead in driving social change for its 28-strong staff.

“As tourism businesses continue to grow throughout the country, we do too. From a financial and moral standpoint this is the right choice for us to make.”

VisitorPoint is New Zealand’s only national distributor of tourism information, having distributed brochures throughout New Zealand for more than 30 years.

It operates three warehouses in Christchurch, Auckland and Queenstown equipped with full teams of warehouse staff working in tandem with 19 merchandisers, as well as sales and marketing and senior management teams.

VisitorPoint’s move to a Living Wage for staff aligns with its commitment to TIA’s sustainable tourism promise.

One of TIA’s goals is for businesses to pay a fair wage to all staff, which aligns with VisitorPoint’s existing efforts in offsetting carbon emissions from all flights, the introduction of live online reporting for its clients and supporting print companies which share its sustainable print visions.

“We’re trying hard to make changes which improve our business while taking sustainability into consideration; it’s all part of a journey for us,” says Jenni.

VisitorPoint currently distributes over 3,500 brochure titles from New Zealand tourism operators the length and breadth of the country. It has over 2000 physical display outlets nationally and operates 38 distribution circuits.

For further media information or high res images please contact:

Fiona Woodham

Southern PR

T: 03 451 0444

M: 027 4313270

E: fiona@southernpr.co.nz

Progressive Dinner Tours launch in Queenstown

The region’s first ever Progressive Dinner Tour is about to hit Queenstown, hosted by renowned operators Alpine Wine Tours.

As of mid-July, guests can explore the very best of Queenstown’s renowned wineries, micro-breweries and restaurants in just one evening, on the ultimate Progressive Dinner Tour.

Owner-operator Emma Chisholm says she saw a gap in the market for night-time activities and jumped at the opportunity to launch something a little different.

“Evening activity options are few and far between in Queenstown, but the Progressive Dinner Tour fills that void and gives people a chance to go on an incredible night-time journey where they can relax, meet new friends and experience the very best food, wine and craft beer the region has to offer,” she says.

“Especially if they are short on time, people can fill their days with activities and then spend a stress-free evening wining and dining. All they need to do is book and turn up, we take care of the rest.”

The Tours visit three iconic locations, including the picturesque Shotover River, the Valley of Vines – Gibbston Valley – and historic Arrowtown. Tours start and end in vibrant central Queenstown, meaning guests can start their evening in town early before pick up, or extend into the night following drop off.

Guests travel comfortably in a luxurious Mercedes Sprinter driven by a knowledgeable local host.

Alpine Wine Tours is family-owned and operated by Emma and director Lee Saunders. With family connections to Queenstown and the wider Otago region dating back nearly 60 years, the pair’s combined local knowledge and family heritage means they offer guests a genuinely authentic kiwi hospitality experience in ‘their own’ backyard.

Emma says dinner tours are hugely popular around the world, where they are sometimes known as Safari Suppers.

“They were the thing to do in the UK during the 1950s and 60s, then made a bit of a comeback when dinner parties became all the vogue again and thanks to the rise of TV show ‘Come Dine With Me’,” says Emma.

On the Queenstown Progressive Dinner Tours, courses are expertly matched with multiple glasses of renowned Central Otago wine, locally brewed craft beer and a cheeky after-dinner nightcap.

All Alpine Wine Tours group experiences are adults only, and the Progressive Dinner Tour is no exception.

The tours leave the centre of Queenstown at 6.45pm daily and guests are dropped back into town at 10.15pm, leaving plenty of time to enjoy the resort’s night life.

Prices are $249 per person all-inclusive and pre-bookings are required.

For further information or to book go to www.alpinewinetours.co.nz

For further media information or high res images please contact:
Mandy Cooper
Southern PR
E: Mandy@southernpr.co.nz
M: 027 3377 907

InterCity Group becomes Entrada Travel Group

One of Australasia’s fastest-growing tourism and transport companies, InterCity Group, has a new name, Entrada Travel Group. The name Entrada draws from the word for entry/arrival used in a number of international languages and reflects the thousands of connections and new experiences the group facilitates each day.

The New Zealand-owned group has evolved significantly from its origins in passenger transport, with the InterCity brand established in 1987. Today Entrada Travel Group has 12 tourism and transport brands and employs over 700 staff directly and through franchise agreements.

CEO John Thorburn says the new identity clearly distinguishes the parent company from the retail brands it operates. It also sums up the group’s purpose of connecting people and places and delivering the best travel experiences, he says.

“We want to be the best at connecting people, places and experiences across New Zealand and Australia, as well as making great memories through the way we share the top sightseeing experiences in both countries.”

In addition to InterCity, other brands added to the group in the last 20 years include sightseeing tour operators GreatSights, Gray Line, awesomeNZ and Auckland Explorer Bus; Bay of Islands tour and cruise business Fullers GreatSights; low-cost bus transport network Skip; and Tropical North Queensland dive and cruise businesses Divers Den and TUSA Group.
“We have ambitious plans for growth in both New Zealand and Australia,” says Thorburn. “The new identity lays the foundation for us to continue to expand into Australasia’s most diverse family of tourism and transport brands.”

For further information, contact:
Daniel Rode

General Manager, Digital and Brand

027 491 3530

danielr@entradatravelgroup.com

Let us design the perfect itinerary so that you can explore Aotearoa in the best possible way. Unlike other providers, Tohu Experiences is also your operational team for privately guided activities throughout NZ.

With our own quality vehicles, rafting equipment, and latest model mountain bikes updated every 6-12 months, kayaks, and more, Tohu Experiences is your one-stop shop for the most amazing bespoke excursions in New Zealand.

Coupled with our amazing partners that we work with throughout the country we assure professionalism, quality, safety and flexibility with every one of our exclusive luxury excursions. That is the Tohu Experiences difference.

Yonder HQ provides software to tourism businesses that helps boost online conversion, improve SEO and make data driven business decisions.

From live chat to AI chatbots, to automating the gathering, display and management of customer surveys and online reviews Yonder HQ has a feature to suit all tourism businesses. With deep connections between Yonder HQ and tourism booking systems Yonder HQ automatically triggers surveys and review requests and gives businesses the ability to manage all their reviews in one place.

Businesses have been saving up to 17 hours of staff time per month, converting 20% more website visitors and gathering 5 times more Google Reviews all using Yonder’s simple to use dashboard.

Get in touch if you would like to get access to a 14 day free trial.

The Royal Albatross Centre is nestled at the foot of Taiaroa Head, at one with its environment. Step into the foyer dominated by Poutokomanawa, a carved pole telling the history of the Maori people of the headland. Settle back for an introduction to the Royal Albatross narrated by Natural History New Zealand. Your guide will take you through the bird’s fascinating story.

From the Dunedin Royal Albatross Centre, it’s a short walk to the Observatory for the privilege of seeing the greatest of all seabirds. Wander through the McMillan Gallery and learn more of the history and wildlife of the area. Enjoy a snack or meal at the Royal Albatross Café and look out for a memento – you’ll want to remember the day you met the Royals of Taiaroa!

Experience a tour of the diverse features of Otago Peninsula and Taiaroa Head, an area unique in the world for the variety and richness of the bird and marine life found there, together with its human heritage of settlement and use from the days of Maori fortification to the present.

Taiaroa Head and Dunedin’s Royal Albatross Centre can be experience either as part one of our peninsula package tours combining many great attractions of the Otago Peninsula.

New exciting products for the North Island (NZ) – Snowshoeing and Wilderness Bush Experiences

What happens when the largest outdoor operator in Taupo meets an ex body guard from Duran Duran, who has worked with Bear Grylls on survival shows and created one of the South Islands most successful guided walk companies? You work together!

That is exactly what has happened with the employment of Pete Hitchman as the Operations Manager of Chris Jolly Outdoors. As a result of this amazing opportunity, Chris Jolly Outdoors are excited to announce the development of two ground breaking tourism products for the North Island; Snow shoeing, and our Wilderness Bush Experience.
Pete and his wife started snowshoeing in the South Island, “My wife and I moved to Queenstown to run New Zealand Walks. One year we decided to introduce snowshoeing. We started with five pairs of snowshoes, just to give it a try. That first year we had had just five clients the whole season. We didn’t do any marketing so no one knew what it was, but then Tourism New Zealand came on board, and Destination Queenstown. We got more shoes and coats, and from five in that first year, two years later we had 1500 people”.

Snowshoeing with Chris Jolly Outdoors is the only tour of its kind available in the North Island. A partnership has been formed with Tukino, a boutique ski field on Mount Ruapehu. The numbers on the field guarantee a bespoke experience, with CAT transfers to the top of the ridge. Snow shoeing allows anyone to experience a walking adventure in an untouched winter wonderland, and better yet, you don’t have to be able to ski, just walk! Clients are transferred to the field and provided with all equipment for a day filled with snow shoeing, snow crystal gazing, a picnic in the snow and an opportunity to learn about the history of this amazing area. Pete says “Even seeing flies in the snow is interesting as their wings freeze, so they aren’t ‘flies’ they are ‘walks’!”

The Wilderness Experience product is another first for the North Island, which is born out of Pete Hitchmans work over the years in the outdoors and his career as a personal protection agent for Duran Duran. “ At 17 I used to compete for Britain in bodybuilding. I was a heavyweight, so I was a big guy, and I used to work in nightclubs as a bouncer. Our in-house band was called Duran Duran and, as they became bigger and bigger, the manager of the club signed them up. I ended up being part of their security team with two former SAS guys. This was in 1984 and I toured through the UK and Europe with them.” During this time, he learnt bush survival strategies which has morphed into a unique adventure for clients where they can learn about NZ medicinal plants, how to build shelters, create fire and cookers out of basic every day items and how to survive in the wild. Pete says “Anybody can do a bush walk but it is about getting something out of the experience, what the client learns on these expeditions will stay with them as life skills forever”.

The exciting part of these tours, is that on a full day excursion, clients will be transported to a private area of land where a recent survey has shown that the land is filled with Native NZ parrots, bats, kiwi and amazing native bush.
Chris Jolly Outdoors is focused on creating unique adventures, and with the expertise and industry prowess of Pete Hitchman, we can promise this is only the beginning of the creation of exciting new products to offer to the New Zealand tourism market and residents.

2019 TECNZ Operator of the Year Awards finalists announced

Nine of New Zealand’s esteemed tourism companies have been recognised with the announcement of the Tourism Export Council of New Zealand’s (TECNZ) Operator of the Year Awards finalists.

They are significant and compelling awards that recognises excellence in sustainability, business systems and outstanding visitor experiences. This is reflected in three categories: Inbound Operator of the Year, Allied Operator of the Year and Small Business Operator of the Year.

“A fantastic opportunity to highlight our TECNZ members” says Chief Executive, Judy Chen, “Our Awards are unique by providing the opportunity to our members to engage and vote for their industry peers”.

The Awards finalists are TECNZ members that are judged and selected by the TECNZ Board. TECNZ industry peers will begin submitting their votes to decide upon the Operator of the Year Awards winners. The exceptional winners will be announced at the 2019 TECNZ Conference, Christchurch on 14 August. Conference registrations are available here

2019 TECNZ Operator of the Year Awards Finalists are:

Inbound Operator of the Year finalists:

Allied Operator of the Year finalists:

Small Business Operator of the Year finalists: