People
Trafalgar boss: Call to action for agents
Wednesday, 20 January 2021 01:00Next year will be defined by one critical call to action for the agent community, says Gavin Tollman, chief executive of Trafalgar Tours.
‘Now, more than ever, the individual needs of the customer will be greater than we have seen in our lifetime, in particular the need to help them understand what they don’t understand, so they can once more enjoy travel experiences beyond their dreams,’ Tollman says in the 2020 version of his traditional Christmas blog.
New at Queenstown hotel
Thursday, 17 December 2020 00:48Carl Amos is now general manager, Mi-pad Hotel Queenstown. He joins the hotel from Hospitality New Zealand where he was marketing, communications and events manager.
Prior to this, Amos was based in Wellington at Tourism Industry Aotearoa leading the partnerships area, the commercial component for the delivery of TIA’s annual key tourism events. Before returning to New Zealand, Amos was based in Fiji and Samoa with roles at Six Senses Fiji, South Sea Cruises Fiji and Starwood Hotels & Resorts in Samoa. He began his tourism career with Air
Relationships key to resurgence
Tuesday, 08 December 2020 23:11House of Travel Browns Bay was planning to mark 30 years of business on 25 May this year. But symptomatic of the year the industry is having, the date fell in the middle of two Auckland lockdowns and the celebratons didn’t happen at the time.
That didn’t stop owner/operator Kelda Cawood inviting clients and business partners to the store for a celebratory ‘cake and cuppa’ with her team last week. Nor has it dented her commitment
New faces at Leisure Time's events brands
Tuesday, 08 December 2020 23:00Leisure Time Group has made two prominent appointments in its business events brands, Lime & Soda and Vokali.
Amanda Graham is business development manager – MICE (meetings, incentives, conferences and events) and Amelia Lowe is an incentive and event manager.
Lime & Soda’s general manager, and former owner, Debra Dufty will be finishing in her role by the end of this year after assisting in the business transition following Leisure Time Group’s
Love joins Otago cycle trails
Tuesday, 24 November 2020 05:48Fiona Love, known by many in the trade for her nearly four years at The Travel Corporation, has been named trails marketing executive for three Regional Tourism Organisations (RTOs).
The role has been established with the support of Enterprise Dunedin, Clutha Development and Tourism Central Otago alongside four cycle trail trusts and a local trail operators’ group. The collaborative marketing group aims to promote and enhance Central Otago and the wider Otago region as a premier trails destination.
Christmas camel has spin off for agents
Wednesday, 11 November 2020 20:03Robyn Galloway, founder of wholesale travel company Innovative Travel, has written a children’s book – one which gives travel agents a slightly different opportunity when it comes to in-store promotions, as well as being a stand alone gift in its own right.
How Santa, Rudolph and Sedrick the Camel Saved Christmas, inspired by Sedrick the Camel, was illustrated by Lizzie Swaney-Hannah. Targeting five to 11 year olds, the book is described as
Yo Pro brand targets keen young travellers, provides confidence
Wednesday, 11 November 2020 19:45Catering for the needs of young professionals who are keen to travel in New Zealand and (as soon as they can) beyond has led to the establishment of a new ‘sub-brand’ for House of Travel Christchurch City.
Young Professionals Travel (Yo Pro Travel) started as an Instagram page and has evolved into a website targeting the sector.
Wedding specialist ready
Monday, 12 October 2020 21:34A leading destination wedding specialist has no regrets that she found a non- travel related job early on in the Covid-19 crisis, but says she is ready to get back into the sector as soon as travel is possible again.
MOD to leave HoT
Friday, 18 September 2020 01:56After 12 years with the company and the past nine years as chief executive officer of House of Travel New Zealand, Mark O’Donnell (MOD) has announced he will be standing down from his CEO role in December. MOD is relocating with his wife to the Hawke's Bay and taking up a CEO role with a local company.
McKearney brings HLO departure forward
Thursday, 10 September 2020 02:59Simon McKearney has finished up as executive general manager at Helloworld Travel. He left on 9 September, earlier than originally planned.
He says this is to enable him to fully move into a new work environment. Communicating with HLO franchise owners, associates and others by email, McKearney said he is making progress in his ‘desires to
re-imagine travel’ and shared this with HLO’s global CEO last week.
TAANZ restructure, disestablishment of CEO role
Thursday, 10 September 2020 02:46The board of the Travel Agents Association of New Zealand says that due to the significant financial impact Covid-19 has had on the travel industry and the flow on to TAANZ it has made the difficult decision to restructure the association.
The outcome is that the role of the chief executive officer is no longer affordable and Andrew Olsen will be leaving in September. The board has highlighted Olsen's many years of service to the association and notes he has championed the TAANZ accreditation model and the elevation of staff qualifications and standards, brought to light the successful National Travel Industry Awards, implemented the ATA brand, been at the forefront of negotiations with IATA and more.
Cam Wallace to leave Air New Zealand
Thursday, 03 September 2020 03:52Air New Zealand’s chief commercial and customer officer Cam Wallace has resigned from the airline.
He will step away from Air New Zealand on 30 September and will provide consultancy support to CEO Greg Foran until the end of 2020. Wallace has been with Air New Zealand for 19 years and has held a variety of senior and executive roles.
Familiar face at Sunshine Coast
Saturday, 08 August 2020 03:04Former Tourism Australia New Zealand manager, Jenny Aitken, will now represent the Sunshine Coast region.
Aitken spent 12 years at the helm of Tourism Australia in New Zealand.
NZTB recognises ‘extra mile’
Tuesday, 30 June 2020 00:01The New Zealand Travel Brokers team has nominated supplier reps that have gone the extra mile over the past couple of challenging months.
Chimu staffer to raise funds on across Aussie walk
Wednesday, 20 May 2020 23:04James McAlloon, Chimu Adventures' relationship manager for Queensland will walk across Australia to raise money for people working in South America’s tourism industry hit hard by Covid-19.
In countries where government handouts are few and far between, earning a living for people, who normally make a living out of tourism, has been at all but at a standstill.
McAlloon’s responded to Chimu’s ‘shout out’ to its teams for ideas on how to raise money for the hardest hit.
GTN: new shop in Whangarei
Sunday, 17 May 2020 23:22Shannell Christmas has joined Global Travel Network (GTN) with her new retail shop in Whangarei – Travel and Cruise HQ. It's a return to GTN for Christmas who previously operated Small World Travel and Cruise.
‘I knew I wanted to have a large cruise specialist presence here, because I love cruise and feel it is something consumers look for,’ explains Christmas. ‘I created a brand, found a fantastic location and got myself set-up
Domestic team set up at TNZ
Thursday, 07 May 2020 21:14Bjoern Spreitzer will lead the newly established team at Tourism New Zealand to restart domestic tourism. The team will ensure TNZ is set up to work in the domestic space and will be structured similar to offshore markets with PR, marketing and trade resource reporting to Spreitzer as general manager.
TNZ’s work in the domestic space will focus on demand stimulation at a national level. Research is currently underway to gather consumer insights to help shape an audience and channels strategy.
Acting CEO for Niue
Tuesday, 05 May 2020 03:15Moka Ioane-Laufoli will take on the acting chief executive officer role at Niue Tourism until recruitment for the position can be made.
Pearl’s passing: She was a Pearler
Friday, 24 April 2020 04:39The original writer of Pearl’s Pearlers, a regular feature in TRAVELinc Memo / Travel Memo has passed away aged 99.
Pearl Cooper, a former travel agent, started writing her gems in the 1990s when the memos were sent out with brochures to travel agents from Brochure Rack. She continued writing the regular Pearlers when former Travel Memo owner Kevin Blackford started sending the Memo as a stand alone publication – on paper and then digitally.
Vale Kas Steiner
Monday, 30 March 2020 21:31The travel industry is paying tribute to an agent who is credited with ‘opening up the world of travel and adventure’ to the Upper Hutt community.
New face at Haka
Thursday, 12 March 2020 22:50Haka Tourism Group has appointed Eve Lawrence as its new general manager to head up Haka Tours and ANZ Nature Tours.
New at Fuzion Travel
Tuesday, 10 March 2020 01:59Erin Miller is the latest travel advisor to move to Fuzion Travel.
New heads at Young TEC
Tuesday, 03 March 2020 02:04Zac Watson, Auckland Tourism Events and Economic Development (ATEED), is the new chair of the Young Tourism Export Council (Young TEC) and Lilly Douglas, Tourism New Zealand is vice chair.
Mini conf, new member for xtravel
Tuesday, 03 March 2020 02:01Queenstown-based brokers xtravel, of Travel Managers Group, held its first mini-conference recently, celebrating its growing team.
New face at Viva
Thursday, 27 February 2020 23:57Gau Kurman is the new marketing executive with Viva Expeditions in Auckland, dealing with public relations and marketing to the travel trade.
New with TMG
Thursday, 20 February 2020 23:56Travel Brokers Mark and Renee Frampton are the latest new additions to Travel Managers Group.
BDM for Scenic Niue
Tuesday, 18 February 2020 00:49Scenic Matavai Resort Niue has appointed Jodi van de Wydeven as business development manager for meetings, incentives, conferences and events (MICE).
New at Jet Park
Friday, 14 February 2020 00:03Jet Park Hotels has appointed a new group HR manager, Tanya Myers.
New face at Ezi Car
Tuesday, 04 February 2020 00:41Ezi Car Rental, one of New Zealand’s largest 100% Kiwi owned and operated rental car operators, has appointed Nikki Milward as a business development manager.
New Asia expert at AW
Thursday, 30 January 2020 23:41Adventure World Travel has a new Asia expert in the team: Darren Case started with the company early this year after spending half of last year travelling through Asia.
New face at Williment, GO
Wednesday, 29 January 2020 00:12David Redmond has recently joined the team at Williment Travel and GO Sports & Events as strategic partnership manager.
New at Croatia Times Travel
Monday, 20 January 2020 22:25Jo Rees has joined Croatia Times Travel as a wholesale travel specialist.
xtravel expands to NI
Thursday, 16 January 2020 22:21Queenstown-based xtravel, approved broker of Travel Managers Group, has expanded into the North Island with the addition of a new broker.
New face at Viva
Monday, 13 January 2020 22:13Helen Urban has joined Viva as sales support. She will be keeping travel agents updated with new sales, tour updates and support Flavio Stadnik in his BDM role.
New at Tourism Fiji
Tuesday, 10 December 2019 02:24Tom Svensen is the new partnership manager, New Zealand, with Tourism Fiji.
HOT Ellerslie turns 15 years
Tuesday, 03 December 2019 22:01The ability to specialise and offer flexibility, as well as operating a general retail travel agency, has kept House of Travel Ellerslie in good stead since it opened in December 2004.
Brown joins Service IQ board
Sunday, 01 December 2019 23:27Fergus Brown, CEO of Holiday Parks New Zealand will represent the hospitality sector on Service IQ.
New addition for TMG
Thursday, 21 November 2019 19:59Auckland based personal travel manager Nancy Crooks has joined Travel Managers Group (TMG) this month.
New GM for CCC Fiji
Monday, 18 November 2019 22:17Captain Cook Cruises Fiji has appointed Bob Speed as general manager, based at its head office at Port Denarau Fiji.
Flightie flies to FJ
Thursday, 14 November 2019 21:54Lisa Mudgway is the new BDM at Fiji Airways and will primarily be looking after Flight Centre and STA, but will also call on all brands.
New face at A&K
Wednesday, 13 November 2019 03:07Benjamin Dale is Abercrombie & Kent’s New Zealand account manager, based at the new Auckland office on Hobson Street.
New face at World Journeys
Friday, 01 November 2019 02:02Erin Daly has joined World Journeys’ team of expert travel designers this week.
Meechan joins Exotic Holidays
Monday, 14 October 2019 01:13Lynn Meechan has joined Exotic Holidays as groups manager.
Groups head for Active Asia
Thursday, 03 October 2019 23:08Gray Gibson, former owner of Mondo Travel Takapuna and past member of the New Zealand Olympic Yachting team has joined Active Asia to take the group role to a new level.
New with NZTB
Monday, 30 September 2019 20:35Terri Hayley is new with NZ Travel Brokers in Lower Hutt.
Heritage promotion
Thursday, 26 September 2019 23:05Heritage Hotel Management has promoted Jass Sidhu from central reservations team leader to revenue and yield manager for the Heritage and City Life Auckland Hotels.
New faces at Gilpin Travel
Monday, 23 September 2019 22:24Gilpin Travel has a number of new faces in its team.
Mark Wood joins TMG
Tuesday, 17 September 2019 00:10Mark Wood of Lateral Travel has joined Travel Managers Group as a broker.
Changes in Marriott’s NZ team
Friday, 13 September 2019 00:08Sara MacLeod has been named director global sales New Zealand with Marriott International.
Change at Tourism Solomons
Friday, 06 September 2019 00:02Fiona Teama has been appointed marketing manager of Tourism Solomons.
New Japan rep in NZ
Tuesday, 03 September 2019 03:02Julie King and Associates (JKA) has appointed Dylan Joffe as country manager - New Zealand.
New with Tourism Fiji
Monday, 19 August 2019 22:11Samantha Pearson is now Tourism Fiji’s public relations manager, New Zealand, based in Auckland.
New GM marketing at SSC
Tuesday, 13 August 2019 01:02Sonya Ridley is now general manager marketing with South Sea Cruises, focusing on brand growth, the launch of new products and other general marketing roles.
New face plus promos
Thursday, 18 July 2019 23:45Richard Leonard will lead Rail Europe’s Asia Pacific teams in the newly created role of general manager business Asia Pacific.