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

Come work for an industry leading NZ Inbound Tour Company
Energetic, fast paced team environment
Utilise your previous travel & leadership experience

The AOT Group is New Zealand’s largest travel distribution company. We distribute travel products throughout New Zealand, Australia and the Rest of World via our brands: AOT Inbound, ATS Pacific, Air New Zealand Holidays, Sunlover Holidays, AOT Hotels and NeeditNow.

The Groups & Cruise Manager’s prime purpose is to manage, provide leadership, and support the Groups Department for both the AOT Inbound and ATS Pacific brands. The role is responsible for the procurement of product for the groups and cruise markets whilst developing effective and on-going relationships with clients and suppliers. Accountable for overseeing the operational execution and project management, this position ensures maximum productivity, accuracy, profitability and that high levels of customer service are maintained. The position will support the global sales team with targeting new groups and cruise business and be responsible for major tour series business negotiations. The Groups & Cruise Manager is responsible for the smooth running of the department and creating a team environment where staff are constantly engaged and striving for excellence.

You will enjoy an energetic, fast paced team environment, be passionate about delivering outstanding service, and you will have a high level knowledge of New Zealand destinations.

Keys to your success will be your ability to work under pressure, excellent interpersonal skills and your ability to lead and motivate a team of consultants.

Responsibilities of this role will include:

Allocating & monitoring of daily bookings, amendments, cancellations & quotes and ensuring same day communication to our partners.
Maximising the conversion of quotes to bookings
Monitoring and follow up of any Database discrepancies.
Liaising with Tour operators, Hotels & various other suppliers on operational or customer service issues.
Negotiating supplier and client contracts for group business
Building and maintaining key client relationships
Liaising with the General Manager – Operations to ensure ongoing training is provided
Responsible for updating clients & team members with relevant operational information.
Collate, analyse and distribute reports as necessary
Ensuring file check procedures are adhered to.
Ensuring all employees are working effectively as individuals and are meeting KPI’s.
Completion of performance appraisals of team members
Maintaining staff retention by constantly striving to enhance their working environment, staff morale, knowledge and interest.

We are looking for someone with:

Strong travel industry experience
Well developed written and verbal communication skills
Ability to work to deadlines and prioritise tasks, maintaining high levels of accuracy
Demonstrated skills in relationship and account management, including negotiation skills
Demonstrated skills and an understanding of a wholesale/inbound reservation system
Proficiency in Microsoft Office, particularly Excel and Word
Good presentation skills
Driver’s License and ability to travel
Experience and knowledge of New Zealand
Proven experience in team management with the ability to identify and initiate opportunities for improvement within the group.

To apply, please send your resume and cover letter to careers@aot.com.au with reference number NZ 14/16

Applications will close Friday, 18 March 2016

Are you positiive, enthusiastic and self motivated?
Come work for an industry leading NZ Inbound Tour Company!
Utilise your excellent knowledge of New Zealand tourism destinations

As an Inbound Reservations Consultant (FIT), you will be responsible for providing quotations, processing bookings, and invoicing tours for a variety of clients around the world. Your positive and enthusiastic attitude, along with your self-motivation, will see you succeed in this role.

Daily, you will be responsible for the following:

Daily processing of bookings, fly drives, amendments and cancellations ensuring a response/confirmation to all booking requests the same day.
Planning and quoting itineraries – researching new product as necessary
Taking responsibility for the finalisation of bookings and itineraries.
Checking files are making the correct margins to maintain profitability.
Ensuring Client customer service issues are addressed promptly
Participating in the weekend office and week/weekend after hours rosters

As the ideal candidate you will have:

Previous Inbound Travel Experience
Excellent English communication; written and verbal
Well-developed computer skills, particularly Word & Excel
Excellent attention to detail
A passion for providing efficient top quality customer service
Tourplan knowledge would be advantageous
German, Italian or French language skills would also be an advantage

Be part of a team who have a passion for travel and develop your skills by join this fast growing company!

To apply, please email your cover letter and resume to careers@aot.com.au using reference number NZ 05/16

Applications close Friday, 11 March 2016

No recruitment agency enquiries thankyou.

The Tourism Export Council would like to thank all those tourism, travel and hospitality operators who have signed the “Choose Clean Water Petition”. The team were featured on Seven Sharp last week (11/2/16) and great to see young people so passionate about protecting the freshwater rights of New Zealand. The number one goal is to move the accepted ‘wadeable’ benchmark for water quality to ‘swimmable’.

When talking to media we strategically tried not to talk about dairying or 100% Pure New Zealand as the focus was about clean water legislation. However the media were not very interested in a group of environmentalists doing a tour of New Zealand telling water stories so we took the opportunity re the cows in Lake Taylor story to get their attention. It certainly grabbed their attention and we as an industry have received great coverage re supporting this issue as well as a stellar season reported on international visitor arrivals.

Fish & Game, Forest & Bird, The Morgan Foundation, Sustain News, Environmental Defence Society as well as the Freshwater Foundation are just a few of the organisations who are pleased to see the tourism industry coming to the party and advocating for tighter legislation. TEC has indicated that we would be pleased to be part of the Land & Water Forum advisory group, representing tourism interests which meets several times during the year.

Here is the Seven Sharp Choose Clean Water team link from 11/2/16
If you’d like to see our comments, you’ll have to watch Seven Sharp On Demand. The story starts at 9 mins 50 secs with the teams story first

Our work is not yet done. If you have a large workplace, you can order the water drop card petitions by the 100 pack, they will be sent to you and then you can disseminate them. The idea is when we present the petition to Parliament on Tuesday 29 March that we put all the water drops on the steps of Parliament which hopefully will have media continue their interest.

At the moment we are at 8300 on the website and the team has collected another few thousand while on the road. The goal is 10,000 and we are confident it will be reached and exceeded but the more we receive the stronger our case will be. If you have not yet signed the petition we would appreciate you doing so and sharing among your staff, family and friends.

Queenstown’s hotel shortage might be tarnishing New Zealand’s reputation as a tourist destination.

A senior manager at an inbound tour company said large groups unable to book accommodation at the resort were choosing to bypass the country altogether. The manager, who asked not to be named, said: “I believe it will dampen growth into New Zealand.” They added: “Queenstown is short three 250-room hotels now.”Tourism Export Council chief executive Lesley Immink called the situation a “crisis”. “We’re losing business from NZ and the South Pacific because if they can’t get accommodation in Sydney, Auckland or Queenstown they can’t complete their itineraries and they’re actually going elsewhere.”

Ms Immink said tour group bookings were up 30% and an average group had lifted from about 30 people during the global financial crisis to 40 or 50. Queenstown was bursting at the seams, she said, and perhaps needed this “consolidation” of visitors. “You can’t even look after your local infrastructure development, let alone thinking about the new tourism development.”

The country was in a tourism boom. It had three million international visitors for the first time in the year to July, she said. Night flights would land in Queenstown this winter and the resort stood to benefit from Auckland’s extra air links to Asia. February had become a super-peak in Queenstown, as the traditional bustle of visitors from Western countries coincided with Chinese New Year.

Destination Queenstown chief executive Graham Budd said the issue of tour groups snubbing New Zealand because of Queenstown’s hotel shortage was mainly about timing. Large groups often travelled in peak periods. He said independent travellers could usually find rooms, but might baulk at prices charged this week. Mr Budd said the resort desperately needed more four-star-plus hotel rooms. Given the rapidly growing, year-round demand in Queenstown he “wouldn’t disagree” that 750 hotel rooms were needed immediately. But he maintained the town was “nicely busy” this week, with a rush of tourists in town for Chinese New Year. Everyone he talked to – bars, restaurants, accommodation houses – had a bumper summer.

Local Hospitality NZ branch president Chris Buckley, a publican, said Queenstown had to take the good with the bad. With more people in town there was more money spent, “which is a huge bonus for everyone”.

Two small hotel developments in Queenstown are under way, a 54-apartment Ramada Hotel at Remarkables Park and a 54-room boutique hotel in Henry St. Swiss-Belresort Coronet Peak and Rydges Lakeland Resort have announced costly upgrades. A large development site at the top of Shotover St, with unconsented plans for a 202-room hotel, has just hit the market.

Mountain Scene

Tourism Industry wants strong protection for Lake Taylor

New Zealand waterways are again suffering abuse at the hands of weak legislation. Over the past week, several articles and television news stories have highlighted multiple cases of farm cattle in high country lakes and rivers. Photos and video have been taken by tourists and locals alike of streams of defecation trailing from animals free to roam into our pristine tourist destinations. “For the tourism industry, our international marketability, and ultimately our economy this is a disaster”, says Tourism Export Council CEO Lesley Immink.

A significant motivation for visitors choosing destination New Zealand is our clean and green image and TECNZ want to ensure that reputation lasts for generations to come. “We believe water quality to be the single greatest challenge to maintaining New Zealand’s environmental promise,” says Immink. Waterways around New Zealand are being sucked dry and polluted on an unprecedented level. Immink says that it is time the government and Minister for Tourism, John Key, to recognise the value clean water has for the industry and New Zealanders.

The Tourism Export Council of New Zealand (TECNZ) is supporting the Choose Clean Water Tour which is visiting lakes and rivers around the country to document through short films, how the continuing pollution of waterways is affecting local people and the environment. The tour is being run by four young campaigners who wanted to assemble stories about the degradation and loss of New Zealand’s freshwater environments. The campaign has received immense support nationwide with over 50,000 views of the short films and over 5000 signatures on a petition calling for stronger freshwater protection.

Since the images and subsequent articles were released, there has been a flurry of support for the campaign with environmental and nature groups stepping up to share their distain at repeated behaviour by some landowners and calling for stronger penalties and consequences for those that do offend.

Freshwater experts have recently challenged the tourism industry to stand up and do more to protect the environment. Candid illustrations about the state of our fresh waterways by New Zealand’s leading freshwater scientists has shocked tourism operators. Analyses of our freshwater, how it is likely to worsen if policy changes are not made and the ways in which water quality have been changed by government to give the appearance we are better than we are have highlighted the absolute crisis point our freshwater environments have reached.

President of the Tourism Export Council Martin Horgan, says “after hearing from freshwater experts, the industry decided that were in a position to do more, both politically and financially and agreed the Choose Clean Water Tour project was likely to have the most impact with some clear outcomes. The motivation for New Zealand to live up to our environmental promise is twofold. First from a sustainable point of view for future generations, but also from a commercial perspective. Our clean green image has worked as a marketing promise in the past, but if we don’t do more to actively live up to it, in 50-100 years’ time, there won’t be anything to market.”

At a time when freshwater legislation is under review (March 2016), the group will also provide the public an opportunity to push for stronger protection through a petition calling for the minimum standard for waterways to be raised from ‘wadeable’ as it is currently to ‘swimmable’, and to establish that the priority for freshwater legislation must be the health of people and the environment.

Immink concludes, “New Zealand will not be able to hide should international media grab hold of our freshwater quality. Herds of cows defecating in lakes, rivers and streams is a marketing nightmare. For a country which relies on tourism and our clean green image as our largest source of income, current policy and government commitment to freshwater protection is simply not good enough. The government needs to choose clean water as a national environmental priority”

Details of the tour and petition may be found at www.choosecleanwater.org.nz

Tourism Export Council of New Zealand Background: The Tourism Export Council of New Zealand is the commercial trade association that has represented the interest of inbound/international tourism since 1971. It represents 1300 key tour operators and suppliers throughout the country who package, distribute and market New Zealand tourism products and services internationally.

For further information, please contact: Lesley Immink, Tourism Export Council Chief Executive, (04) 495 0810 or (027) 6644 836

TourWriter provides innovative software for the international travel industry. Our expanding business requires a new team member, so we are on the lookout for fun, energetic and passionate individual to join us. Our head office is in central Wellington, however we also have team members residing in the USA, the Philippines, India and other New Zealand locations so your location is not necessarily a barrier to applying, although if outside of Wellington, some time in Wellington would be required initially.

What is the role?

Our clients are niche market travel agents who predominantly focus on high quality travel itineraries. TourWriter manages their, often broad, Supplier information requirements , including seasonal rates and produces personalised itineraries and quality travel documentation.

This role ensures that our software system, TourWriter, is successfully integrated into new client companies, in a way that meets their specific business processes. As a Tourwriter Implementer you will be responsible for your own clients Implementation. Your work will be overseen by our Implementation and Customer Relations Manager.

The Implementation Process involves:

Receiving new clients from the Sales Team
Analysing client-specific business processes and requirements
Utilising our structured implementation and training plans together with our recently developed TourWriter Knowledge Base
Conducting live (interactive) training sessions remotely
Providing your clients with post-training assistance and “homework”
Combining patience, determination and persistence to overcome unexpected hurdles and client issues
Assisting with Database loading and managing our Database loading team
Scoping clients documents (e.g. quotes and itineraries) for development by our programmers
Handing over successfully trained clients to general support, while still maintaining responsibility for customer success ie ensuring the customer is getting maximum value out of TourWriter.
Delivering periodic advanced and refresher training sessions.
Assisting with designing new and improved workflows.

Who are we?

TourWriter is a well-established, high-growth company with clients in 28 countries globally. We are passionate about providing outstanding service to our expanding list of global customers.

Our team culture includes:

Focusing on adding value to our customers’ businesses.
Surprising customers with the speed and accuracy of our responses
Taking great pride in self management and personal growth
Committing to enabling staff to be awesome by supporting their endeavors
A willingness and desire to listen, learn and improve
Freedom to self manage

Our dream candidate is someone who is :

Task focused
Able to communicate complex concepts clearly
An experienced trainer
In possession of a variety of training techniques and styles
A fast learner with a positive attitude to change
Passionate about learning and acquiring new skills
Able to consistently deliver truly excellent customer service
Able to engage with people of various nationalities who possess different levels of computer literacy

Experience in the Inbound Travel Industry is definitely desirable, but not absolutely essential.

Due to the international client base, flexible hours are available for this position; please provide days and hours of availability in your application.

If you meet the brief and would leap at the opportunity to join our TourWriter Implementation Team please click on Apply for this job and tell us why you would be a great fit for the TourWriter Team.

We look forward to hearing from you very soon!

careers@tourwriter.com

04 2101 411

Tourism Export Council Supports “Choose Clean Water Tour”

The Tourism Export Council New Zealand (TECNZ) is pleased to confirm both political and financial support to the tune of $10,000 to the Choose Clean Water Tour in January 2016. A significant motivation for visitors choosing destination New Zealand is our clean & green image and TECNZ want to ensure that reputation lasts for generations to come. We believe water quality to be the single greatest challenge to maintaining New Zealand’s environmental promise and see this tour as an opportunity to raise awareness among tour operators and mainstream New Zealand re the quality of our water.

Massey University’s Dr Mike Joy recently challenged the tourism industry to stand up and do more to protect the environment. TECNZ surveyed members, received a mandate to do more and invited Joy to speak at their tourism conference to hear some truths about New Zealand waterways. Joy shocked operators with an analysis of our freshwater status, how it is likely to worsen if policy changes are not made and the ways in which water quality have been changed by government to give the appearance we are better than we are.

President of the Tourism Export Council Martin Horgan, says “a range of projects were considered but in the end they agreed the Choose Clean Water Tour project was likely to have the most impact with some clear outcomes. The motivation for New Zealand to live up to our environmental promise is twofold. First from a sustainable point of view for future generations, but also from a commercial perspective. Our clean green image has worked as a marketing promise in the past, but if we don’t do more to actively live up to it, in 50-100 years’ time, there won’t be anything to market.”

Joy who recommended the project says “I commend the Tourism Export Council and their members for choosing to walk the talk, supporting the initiative. I talk at many conferences trying to educate and stimulate actions and it is heartening to have the tourism industry want to share the responsibility re the protection of our waterways. The tourism industry are direct beneficiaries of New Zealand’s clean green image and we welcome their contribution politically to the discussion and actions”.

The Choose Clean Water Tour will see four young campaigners visit over 25 lakes and rivers around the country to document through short films, how the continuing pollution of waterways is affecting local people and the environment. At a time when freshwater legislation is under review, the group will also provide the public an opportunity to push for stronger protection through a petition calling for the minimum standard for waterways to be raised from ‘wadeable’ as it is currently to ‘swimmable’, and to establish that the priority for freshwater legislation must be the health of people and the environment. The tour website allows the public to share their own stories about a local lake, river or stream and contribute to a national picture of the importance of waterways to New Zealanders. Details of the tour and petition may be found at www.choosecleanwater.org.nz.

The Choose Clean Water Tour will begin in Taupo on 10 January and run until 06 Feburary 2016. It is also supported by the Freshwater Foundation and Freshwater for Life.

The TEC Inbound Tour Operator Report in partnership with ATEED is now available for members. Please respect that the data collected in report should not be circulated to non members.

TEC – ATEED Inbound Tour Operator Survey Report 2015

Immigration NZ has a new Immigration visa fact sheet – Nov 2015

New Zealand’s most photographed Church needs industry help!

Visitor numbers to the Church of the Good Shepherd have reached 300,000 per annum and there are issues with security, safety, pollution (rubbish & defecation) of the church area and environs. It is so busy they cannot even grow grass in the grassed areas due to the numbers of visitors. Add to this the ever increasing numbers of freedom campers’ over- nighting in the vicinity and it’s not hard to see that the church is under threat.

Spokesperson for the Church, Phil Brownie estimates there are currently 250,000 daytime visitors per annum and 40-50,000 visitors in the evenings mainly for night time photography. Of the 300,000 visitors 30% are tour coach, 30% campervans and 40% rental cars. The Church does have a policy of no photography inside the church which it has had to implement due to the level of crowding and congestion in the small church as every visitor endeavors to get the perfect photo.

Many of the church members would like visitors to regard the Church of the Good Shepherd as a “Living Church, an operating Parish and a place of worship” – not just a tourist attraction and that it should be treated as a place of reverence by all who visit.

Each week they receive numerous requests for weddings or wedding photos to be held at the church and this puts enormous strain on the resources of the parish as well as reducing the hours the church is open for visitors. While it is currently a source of income at 3 per week, during weddings they have to employ additional guides because of the number of people trying to get into the church. Photo sessions are spoiled by visitors keen to get photos of the wedding party and at times abuse the privacy and rights of the wedding party. Potentially this source of income is under threat because of the number of visitors.

CEO of the Tourism Export Council Lesley Immink said that when Phil approached TEC for help, she was saddened to hear that this wonderful icon was not being properly appreciated for its beauty and spiritual significance. Lesley says “while this is not necessarily an example of when tourism goes bad, it is certainly an opportunity to assist the community in making it a more sustainable and memorable experience for the locals and international visitors alike.”

The Church has a fulltime minister who along with 5 guides and a number of volunteers assist in the day to day running matters such as guiding , security, ground maintenance, cleaning etc but they need more help. They have talked with the Mackenzie District Council and have some ideas for the protection of the Church, the environs and future developments, some of which could include:

Extend and beautify the carpark with new plantings leading up to Church area so more is grassed with appropriate walkways
Signage about the history and significance of the Church and available in multiple languages
Employ a nighttime manager and fulltime gardener to maintain the environment
A possible ‘open space covenant’ and Retreat Centre.
Creating visitor destination toilets on the west side of the footbridge
Charging for entry onto the grounds and church

In the short term, what can the industry do to help?

Promote on itineraries more information about respecting the Church and to remind visitors that it is a living Church, similar to a temple or religious shrine
Provide to drivers/guides a fact sheet about the Church and include in rental vehicles
Have information about the Church and donations included on travel apps
Encourage more donations from their clients or from companies who know the the Church is on group or self-drive itineraries
Form a sustainable tourism work group to assist Church and community representatives

If you would like to donate or contribute to the Church of the Good Shepherd, contact Phil Brownie pgbrownie@gmail.com or 027 274 1650