TECNZ

Inbounders are at breaking point but there are reasons to be hopeful, writes TECNZ chief executive Lynda Keene.

A full recovery of annual international visitor numbers into New Zealand is now not expected until sometime after May 2025, according to an updated forecast from Tourism Export Council of New Zealand.

But overseas agents are getting “pretty frustrated” at New Zealand, says TECNZ chair Scott Mehrtens.

Tourism Export Council of New Zealand today pulled the plug on its Xmas Symposium in Auckland scheduled for Wednesday 8 December.

But only if NZ’s borders re-open soon, starting with Australia in December and the rest of the major source markets next year.

A TECNZ poll lays out how international wholesalers and agents are seeing NZ – and it’s not pretty.

The new funding for operators is needed in light of the latest lockdown and the likelihood of no international visitors over summer.

A trip down memory lane was one of the highlights of last week’s Tourism Export Council of New Zealand’s annual conference in New Plymouth.

Despite the difficult days for ITOs, departing Tourism Export Council of New Zealand chair Anna Black says there are still reasons to celebrate the association’s 50th birthday. 

Nearly 100 tourism suppliers are meeting the country’s inbound tour operators at the inaugural Tourism Trade Expo in Taranaki today.

Recovery in the North American and European visitor markets will likely be faster than from Asia, says TECNZ.

Interested registrants could still sign up to a waiting list.

The TECNZ event will be hosted in New Plymouth from 4-6 August.

The government needs to make available a $200m rescue package for operators reliant on international visitors, or see many wind-up and close permanently.

This year is going to be another tough one for the tourism industry’s inbound tour operators, says Tourism Export Council of New Zealand.

Tourism businesses that reduced prices for the domestic market must prepare to start lifting them again for the return of international travellers, according to Tourism Export Council of New Zealand chief executive Lynda Keene.

The New Zealand cruise industry is at a standstill and the country is $601m out of pocket because of it, says NZ Cruise Association chair and ID Tours executive director Debbie Summers.

Tourism operators, agencies and inbound tour operators from around the country gathered at the Heritage Hotel in Auckland for Tourism Export Council of New Zealand’s 2020 Xmas Symposium.

Executive director Justin Tighe-Umbers says NZ risks being left behind as other countries resume international travel.

Visitors from long-haul destinations must begin to arrive in New Zealand from 1 October 2021 if inbound tour operators are to survive the Covid-19 crisis, says Tourism Export Council chief executive Lynda Keene.

The association says it will lead the development of an international tourism recovery strategy to present to Govt.

Tourism Export Council of New Zealand’s Xmas Symposium 2020 has been confirmed for 2 December 2020 at Heritage Auckland.

The May 2024 recovery dates are later than the inbound tour operator association’s previous forecasts of March 2024.

A new date would be announced this week and all existing registrations would automatically be transferred.

It is insufficient for hard-hit tourism, say industry groups.

Leading industry bodies are feeling “underwhelmed” and “frustrated” at the Government’s latest $300m tourism support package, which they say falls short of what the devastated sector needs to survive.

The Tourism Export Council of New Zealand has moved its annual Xmas Symposium in December to a new ‘Spring’ Symposium in September.

NZ might not see a return to pre-Covid visitor numbers until the end of March 2024, says the association.

The Tourism Export Council of New Zealand has called on the Government to extend the wage subsidy scheme beyond its initial 12-week period for tourism businesses.

Tourism coming to a grinding halt due to Covid-19 restrictions draws parallels to the 2016 Kaikōura earthquake, says tour operator Encounter Kaikōura.

However, the association has rebooked the same venue, The Devon Hotel at New Plymouth, to hold the 2021 event.

The “million dollar question” is whether the world waits for a vaccine before reopening borders, says the association.

Lynda Keene is taking the helm of the Tourism Export Council of New Zealand replacing outgoing chief executive Judy Chen.

Judy Chen talks to Tourism Ticker about industry challenges, sustainability and raising the profile of TECNZ.

Tourism Export Council of New Zealand chief executive Judy Chen presented aspects of the NZ industry’s sustainability efforts to more than 500 delegates at the Australian Tourism Export Council’s annual conference in Brisbane this week.

Tourism Export Council of NZ’s chief executive, Judy Chen, is to leave the association in January.

The tourism industry is set to have a mixed performance in visitor arrivals this summer season, according to Tourism Export Council New Zealand.

TECNZ says some of its members are reporting signs of a slowdown in their bookings.  

It’s the last big bash of the year for many in the tourism industry and photographer Jay Farnworth from Image Search was there to capture it.

Combating ‘tourism fatigue’ in New Zealand is top of the agenda at the final national tourism fixture of the year, the annual Tourism Export Council New Zealand Christmas Symposium.

New research and development tax credits “opens doors” for more innovation in the tourism sector, according Tourism Export Council of New Zealand chief executive, Judy Chen.

The final national fixtures in the tourism industry calendar, the Tourism Export Council Xmas Symposium and YoungTEC Summit, will take place at the Pullman Auckland this year.

The Young Tourism Export Council and New Zealand School of Tourism have teamed up in an effort to provide guidance to the next generation of tourism professionals.

Weta Workshop’s head of tourism, Jake Downing, has joined the Tourism Export Council board as an allied member representative replacing Ngai Tahu Tourism’s Stephen Lester.

Tourism NZ’s CEO says there needs to be a move from sustainability to enrichment.

Christchurch is to host next year’s Tourism Export Council New Zealand’s annual conference – the first time the event has been held in the city for 20 years.

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Tourism New Zealand chief executive Stephen England-Hall’s full speech to the TECNZ 2018 conference in Napier.

General Travel New Zealand has been crowned the 2018 Inbound Operator of the Year.

The lion’s share of the revenue came from sales of group trips to New Zealand.