Hospitality & Retail

The eight-week suspension of the trans-Tasman travel bubble had an immediate impact on operators.

Greater number of quality finalists this year, says head judge.

International professional body the Institute of Hospitality is establishing a New Zealand branch.

A decision is expected later today on whether to extend Wellington’s alert level 2 restrictions.

New project framework developed with STAPP funding, aims to continue domestic tourism momentum.

More events and on-site accommodation are in the works.

Lessons delivered by videos ranging in length from five minutes to one hour, with certification for completed courses.

A pivot away from tourism leaves councils scrambling to reorganise their funding base, says LGNZ.

Visas commonly used for workers such as chefs or snow sport instructors will be rolled into a new catch-all visa type that requires all employers to be registered with Immigration New Zealand.

Family-friendly Gear Eatery and Bar to hold launch day on 8 May.

Hospitality New Zealand and the New Zealand Chefs Association are to host the inaugural New Zealand Hospitality Summit and trade show in September.

Australian options may increase competition for domestic tourists, says a Waikato economist.

Electronic card transaction spending for March in the hospitality sector jumped 26.1% to $1.04bn compared to the same month in 2020, according to Stats NZ.

Hospitality New Zealand says the extension of the Immigration (Covid-19 Response) Amendment Bill will be vital as borders gradually re-open.

Nationwide commercial accommodation association said it “welcomes” the Tourism Futures Taskforce interim report for sustainable future.

Hospitality NZ has welcomed the targeted support for the sector but the trans-Tasman bubble is a “vital” next step for the industry.

Concerns over the additional financial burden a doubling of sick leave will pile on fragile tourism and hospitality businesses  have led to a raft of submissions against the government’s proposed increase.

Auckland hospitality and tourism sector employers looked to staff up in the final quarter of the year after deep cuts earlier in 2020.

Hospitality New Zealand has established a formal partnership with the Tasmanian Hospitality Association to share ideas and work on mutually beneficial initiatives and projects.

Hospitality New Zealand is re-establishing the Accommodation Association New Zealand to provide the accommodation sector with a united voice as it worked through the challenges of the Covid-19 crisis.

Hospitality New Zealand has entered into a Memorandum of Understanding with Backpacker Youth and Adventure Tourism Association.

Spending on hotels, motels, campgrounds, and other accommodation fell to $133.4m in September 2020, down 29% on the same month last year.

Extending current Covid-19 alert level restrictions across the country could be the nail in the coffin for struggling operators, says Hospitality New Zealand.

The Government needs to provide a more targeted response for struggling hospitality operators.

The hospitality sector is paying a heavy price for the Government’s “bungling of the border”, says the National Party’s economic development spokesperson, Todd McClay.

More was spent on food and beverage but less on accommodation despite the school holidays.

New Zealand’s tourism and hospitality sector posted a surprise jump in new job listings in June, according to Trade Me.

Chef, author and restaurateur Peter Gordon is bringing to a close his long-standing relationship as signature chef at SkyCity’s The Sugar Club.

Whanganui District Council reviewed the operation of the South Beach Café at the airport and decided not to reopen the facility after it was closed by Covid-19 restrictions.

Spending on eating out and on hotels, motels, and other accommodation fell 41%, or $428m, in May, according to new figures from Stats NZ.

Tourism and hospitality operators are among more than 130 businesses that have registered for WellingtonNZ’s free innovation programme Thrive.

PM’s green-light for domestic travel from Thursday prompts wave of relief from operators, new campaign from RTOs, but warnings of the danger of further delays from TIA.

The impact of Covid-19 on food and beverage services in the hospitality sector is devastating, says NZ Alcohol Beverages Council.

ServiceIQ has launched new online training to help the hospitality industry with induction and food and workplace safety training.

Tourism Industry Aotearoa is turning up the pressure on government to allow domestic travel at level 2, warning the alternative will put thousands of jobs and hundreds of businesses at risk.

Wellington hospitality businesses can claw-back some costs following the introduction of a partial fee refund scheme by Wellington City Council.

The Big Foody tour company founder Elle Armon-Jones, who also runs Vineyard Cottage in Auckland, on shutting up shop in a weekend, grieving for what was and changing mindsets.

WellingtonNZ is offering meal delivery rebates to eateries across the region for the two confirmed weeks of Covid-19 alert level 3, starting today.

Domestic holidays, road trips and flights are on Kiwis’ post-Covid-19 lockdown wishlist, according to new research.

Operators are “pulling out all the stops” to prepare for a loosening of the lockdown, says Hospitality NZ.

Nelson City Council is calling for the Ministry of Justice to enable the Alcohol Regulatory and Licensing Authority (ARLA) and councils to waive alcohol licensing fees in light of the Covid-19 shutdown.

The operator says it will become a “much smaller, domestically focused” business.

Christchurch City Council has introduced a three-month rent holiday for commercial tenants.

St Patrick’s Day celebrations at the Redoubt Bar in Matamata are the source of a cluster of Covid-19 cases.

Ongoing costs during the four-week closure means some businesses will shut for good.

The Restaurant Association says the hospitality sector is losing approximately $6m per week as a result of the Covid-19 outbreak.

New Zealand’s hospitality and tourism retailing sectors are suffering from the coronavirus onslaught, says BusinessNZ chief executive Kirk Hope.

Julie White is the new chief executive of industry body Hospitality New Zealand.

Hobbiton, Cardrona Hotel, and Fiordland Lodge are among the winners at the Hospitality NZ Awards.

Hospitality group Nourish has invested $2m into an overhaul and renaming of its Britomart bar formerly known as the Northern Steamship Co.