Paparazzo
Cruising through Cruise360
Close to 850 people, including about 55 New Zealand travel agents, in Cruise Line International Association (CLIA) Australasia’s Cruise 360 event in Sydney late last week.
Gavin Smith, Royal Carribean; Jessica Jones, Celebrity Cruises
At the Cruise360 welcome function in Dolton House… Bonnie Turner, Princess Cruises; Kylie Crouch, First Travel Group; Kirsty Jensen, Our Cruise
Hayley Thompson, YOU Travel Manly; Kate Tawhai, Travel Expert Ltd
Gillian Seller, Explora Journeys (centre); with Richard and Clare Fletcher, both Fletcher Travel Group at the Cruise 360 trade show
Andrea Robinson, Disney Cruises; Hayley Thompson, YOU Travel Manly; Hemal Jani, Beyond Holidays; Steph Johnson, Disney Cruises
Andrea Robinson, Disney Cruises; Hayley Thompson, YOU Travel Manly; Hemal Jani, Beyond Holidays; Steph Johnson, Disney Cruises
Monett Johnston, YOU Travel Whitianga; Alice Ager, Uniworld Boutique River Cruises; Julia Miles-Cassin, Cruise World at the Cruise360 trade show in Sydney on Friday
Skål CHC celebrates past and present
Skål Christchurch held its bi-annual Past Presidents Lunch with 10 past presidents joining over 70 members and guests at Novotel Christchurch Airport.
Stories were told, fines from the sheriff were dished out, and the vision of Skål International for 2024 and beyond was shared.
Current club president, Nikki Rogers from Hospitality New Zealand, says it was a great opportunity to connect with past members. ‘Their contributions and legacy is what makes our club the success it is today.’
New members from Techwiz, Darryl and Carmen Hodgson, were welcomed with their pin and name badge; and 40th anniversary pins were presented by Skål New Zealand president, Victoria Wales from HOT Events, to members Jefferie Tippen and Gerald Wilson.
The club is up for the Skål International Club of the Year award, for the second year running. Voting by all clubs throughout the organisation is conducted later in the year, with the promotional videos being released shortly.
40 years on... New Zealand president, Vic Wales presents Gerald Wilson with a long standing awar
Past Christchurch presidents Basil Taylor, left, and Bruce Garret with current president, Nikki Rogers
Christchurch club treasurer, Gareth Williamson with Robert Skewes of Turama Padicif who won a dinner voucher at Novotel Christchurch Airport in the lunch raffle
New Zealand president, Vic Wales and Chris Foubister of Hotel Elms, Christchurch
Skal AKL’s USA 4 July celebration
Skal Auckland celebrated 4th of July a day early with a lively event at the Longroom in Ponsonby on Wednesday evening. A highlight was the raffling of a $1000 voucher presented by Delta Air Lines. There were also backpacks, amenity bags and other goodies up for grabs by fellow sponsors – Visit Anaheim, Air New Zealand, Hawaii Tourism, United Airlines and Canuckiwi.
The club also officially welcomed new member Amin Foladi. The club’s next event will be on 1 August at Auckland Pullman Hotel and will feature guest speaker Viv Beck, CEO of Heart of the City.
Jillian Brodie, Travel Managers Group; Maree Robinson, Hawai’i Tourism; Lisa Linn, Visit Anaheim; Alison Hopkirk, Delta Air Lines
Mike Hearn, American Chamber of Commerce in New Zealand; Leanne Cheesman, United Airlines
Joanne Saunderson, NZ Travel Brokers; Tony Smith, Amanda Savill, both Francis Travel Marketing
CJ Lowe, Air New Zealand; Rafa Sandoval, Flight Centre NZ, Karen McCardle, Canuckiwi
Waikato agents out in force at Samoa roadshow
TRAVELinc Memo caught up with the trade at the Beautiful Samoa NZ Roadshow in Hamilton this week.
Miss Samoa / Miss Pacific, Moemoana Schwenke with Renee Claasen and Dylan Hargreaves, FC Chartwell
On the Hamilton leg of the four city Beautiful Samoa NZ roadshow…Sonny Rivers, Samoa Tourism, with Kelsey MacKay and Alison Jenkins, both House of Travel Calder and Lawson
Monita Krishna, Tanoa Tusitala; Brooke Thompson, Helloworld Rototuna; Roneeta Devi, Tanoa Tusitala; Edie Swney, The Travel Brokers, Morrinsville
Angela Taverner, House of Travel Morrinsville; Suzie Williams; Samoa Scenic
Honouring success in NZ’s travel industry
‘Glad to see you still standing.’ Those were some of the welcoming words by Travel Agents’ Association president Brent Thomas at the TAANZ NTIA Awards at Cordis Auckland on Saturday night. The comment came after he asked everyone who was in the audience and had been at the previous awards in 2019 to stand up – and most of the 700 plus attendees got to their feet.
There was also a healthy number of first timers at the celebration – a fact that earned a big cheer.
Thomas referred briefly to the tough times during the pandemic but also noted that the challenge had galvanised the industry like never before. ‘With Flight Centre joining the fold, TAANZ now represents 95% of the travel agencies in New Zealand. We’re a thriving industry having our best years ever.’
Thomas emphasised the importance of everyone in the tourism and travel ecosystem working together and also noted the progress the industry was having in gaining the ear of government ministers. ‘It’s great to see travel agents and suppliers coming together tonight.’
Thomas also announced the retirement of long standing publisher Tony Dominey, of TABS on Travel / Travel Today and noted that TAANZ would be presenting him with a gift in the near future.
Winners at the TAANZ National Travel Industry Awards, presented at Cordis Hotel on Saturday 25 May:
Intrepid Top Leisure Agency: Discover Travel Christchurch, House of Travel; Delta Airlines Top Corporate Agency: Orbit World Travel Auckland; Cover-More Top Leisure Agency: Elliot Travel Gisborne, World Travellers; Wendy Wu Tours Resilience and Entrepreneurial Spirit Award: Buzz Thompson; Norwegian Cruise Lines Top Leisure Agency: Cruise Connections; Sabre Top Corporate Agency: Corporate Traveller, Flight Centre; Oceania Cruises Top Leisure Agency: Wright and Turner Travel Associates Flight Centre; Silversea Resilience and Entrepreneurial Spirit: YOU Travel Bethlehem; Regent Seven Seas Resilience and Entrepreneurial Spirit: xtravel, Queenstown, TMG
G Adventures Top Leisure Individual: Helen Moffit, House of Travel St Heliers; Expedia TAAP Top Leisure Agency: NZ Travel Brokers; Globus family of brands Top Leisure Individual: Belinda Wilson, Pukekohe Travel; World Leading Cruise Lines Top Leisure Agency: Pukekohe Travel; Allianz Top Leisure Individual: Sarah McWilliams, Pukekohe Travel; The Travel Corporation’s Top Leisure Agency: House of Travel, Northlink; Infinity Travel’s Top Leisure Individual: Melissa Landrebe, YOU Travel Ferrymead; Viking Resilience and Entrepreneurial Spirit: Ros Chapman, YOU Travel Feilding; Favourite Air Supplier: Singapore Airlines; Best Account Manager: Megan Hornblow, Globus family of brands
Favourite Land Supplier: Globus family of brands; Qantas Top Leisure Agency: The Travel Brokers; Qantas Top Corporate Agency: Orbit World Travellers Auckland; Air New Zealand Top Leisure Agency: Sounds Travel; Air New Zealand Top Corporate Agency: Orbit World Travel Auckland; Air New Zealand Lifetime Industry Achievement: Guy Flynn, NZ Travel Brokers; Hall of Fame Lifetime Achievement Award: Jim Murphy, Pukekohe Travel
Winner of Regent Seven Seas’ Resilience and Entrepreneurial Spirit award – xTravel’s Tori Keating and Niki Davies with Regent’s Tracey Brennan (centre)
David Coombes, House of Travel; Tony Laskey, Service IQ; Hemal Jani, Brijesh Sethi, both Beyond Holidays
Guy Flynn, NZ Travel Brokers, winner of Air New Zealand’s Lifetime Industry Achievement Award –with Tim Swan, Air New Zealand
Hayley Purdon, Expedia Group; Chris Jones, Amanda Debenham. Stu Udy, all Expedia TAAP
Rachel Williams, Viva Expeditions; Joanne Saunderson, NZTB; Cindy Bakewell, The Private Travel Company; Pip Fear, NZTB
Jayne Alldred, House of Travel accepts The Travel Corporation’s Top Leisure Agency award on behalf of House of Travel, Northlink; Louise Levesque, The Travel Corporation
Delta Air Lines Top Corporate Agency winner, Brendan Drury, Orbit World Travel Auckland with DL’s Alison Hopkirk and Stephen Tanner
Mandy Veale, Tourism and Events Queensland; Megan Singleton, Blogger at Large; Paul Dymond, Wendy Wu; Hayley Fraser, House of Travel
Guests of TRAVELinc Memo... Megan Singleton, Blogger at Large and selfie taker extraordinaire; Anita Gatley, TMG; Anna Rowbotham, Inez Teni, both Fuzion Travel; Claire Jones, House of Travel Devonport; me, TRAVELinc; Jo Saunderson, New Zealand Travel Brokers; Wendy Birmingham, Fuzion Travel
TAANZ board members Victoria Courtney, Flight Centre NZ; John Willson, First Travel Group
Brent Thomas, TAANZ president, with TAANZ Hall of Fame winner Jim Murphy Pukekohe Travel ans Eve Murphy, Pukekohe Travel
Chris Jones, Expedia with Guy Flynn NZ Travel Brokers, winner of Expedia’s Top Leisure Agency
Jessica Kilbride Parris, Rebecca Slee, Emily Rose, all Qantas
Steve Parker, Viking with Ros Chapman, YOU Travel Feilding who won Viking’s Resilience and Entrepreneurial Spirit award
Belinda Wilson, Pukekohe Travel who won Globus family of brands’ Top Leisure Individual, with Angela Webber, Globus
Mel Watson, Silversea Cruises and Kay Rogers, YOU Travel Bethlehem, winner of Silversea’s Resilience and Entrepreneurial Spirit award
Flighties catch up early at the awards evening... Julia Hindman, Mariana Stoyanova, Rowena McCarron
Wendy Wu Tours’ Paul Dymond and Lisa Anthony with House of Travel Hobsonville’s Buzz Thompson who won the Wendy Wu Tours Resilience and Entrepreneurial Spirit award
Best Account Manager, Megan Hornblow, Globus with Jackie Bell, The Travel Brokers
G Adventures’ Top Leisure Individual, Helen Moffit, House of Travel St Heliers (centre) with G Adventures’ Sean Martin and Kim du Plessis
More...
ATE: That’s a wrap
The Australian Tourism Exchange (ATE) wrapped up in Melbourne last night after four days of networking, functions and appointments.
ATE 2025 has been confirmed for Brisbane at the Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre from Monday 28 April to Thursday 1 May 2025.
At John Cain Arena for the sports themed welcome function Jacqui Holland, Holland Clarke and Beatson; Kerry Graham, the Private Travel Company; Daniel Wright, Tourism Australia; Laurie Matthews, Indigo
Emma Robertson, Helloworld; Grace McDonald Fleurieu Peninsula Tourism
Tanya Jarman, Adelaide Hills Tourism; Julia Bozich, House of Travel
Ian McDougal, Chadstone the Fashion Capital with Gordy Bayne, Showponi
Sarah Radtke, House of Travel (centre), catching up with Brett Lakey and Melissa Lakey, both Lady Musgrave Experience at ATE
Networking, canapés and BBQ economics
Auckland Skal members, guests and others in the industry gained insights into business journalist Liam Dann’s career, learn a bit about BBQ Economics (the title of his new book) and had a chance to ask a few questions at the club’s April meeting recently.
Along with what Dann says is one of the most frequent questions he is asked around the barbecue (what’s happening with interest rates / when and how far will they fall)\?) he was quizzed on subjects ranging from how to combat tourism and travel’s workforce challenges and what is the future of traditional media in New Zealand.
The event at Hotel Britomart included the usual opportunities for networking over a couple of drinks and nibbles.
MC for the evening Paul Dymond, Wendy Wu Tours; with new members who were presented with their badges on Thursday night… Benedikt Bouillon, Habit Consulting and Richard Gamlin, Jetpark (Photo: Gina Paladini)
Alison Sharp, TMG; Jonas George, Air Vanuatu; Anita Gatley, TMG
Author Liam Dann with Louise Levesque, The Travel Corporation; Daniel Wright, Tourism Australia; Alex O’Connor, Qantas
Arnold Aaron, Edwin Saldanah, STAAH; Paul Leigh, Eurovista; Damien Spurdle, Parnell Hotel and Conference Centre
A Force for Good in Auckland
Close to 250 delegates took part in a packed programme for A Force for Good at Crowne Plaza Auckland mid March. The event followed on from International Women’s Day last Friday and was the first time it has been back in Auckland since the pandemic.
Speakers included a strong line-up from both overseas and New Zealand, including Bruce Poon Tip, founder of G Adventures; Victoria Courtney, New Zealand MD of Flight Centre; Lesa Bain, vice-president sales northern America – Lindblad Expeditions and many others.
Organiser Helene Taylor says this year’s conference has an increased emphasis on sustainability, environment and wildlife preservation as well as the themes of equality, diversity, inclusion and female leadership in the industry.
In her opening address, Taylor encouraged women to negotiate for themselves and value themselves.
‘It’s incredible to be back.’
Janet Wiltshire, Angela Webber, Megan Hornblow, all Globus family of brands
Price Heaslip, Flight Centre Manukau; Lauren Bainbridge, Juliet Becher, both Flight Centre HR
Margy Twigden, TMG; Lynda Morrison, Innovative Travel
Stacey Paranjpe, Air New Zealand; Jodie Burnard, Flight Centre, Nic Mason, Air New Zealand
Angie Forsyth, C corporate Traveller; Suzanne Milthorpe, Sandra Sopin, both World Animal Protection Australia New Zealand
Spice to Ice events provide confidence
World Journeys’ From Spice to Ice events wrapped up after a strong attendance in Auckland, Tauranga and Christchurch last week.
Marketing manager Caroline Clegg says the events were well received, with an engaged audience at each location.
‘A lot of agents have said it was a timely refresher that has given them the confidence again to sell Mexico, South America and Antarctica. World Journeys being a New Zealand owned and operated company with a wealth of personal experience in the destinations is a massive advantage,’ Cleggs adds.
‘Others commented that they’d never fully considered how the destinations could be combined, but thought the idea fitted well with the trend towards longer journeys. All agents now have the chance to win $5,000 worth of LATAM Airlines flights to enable them to experience these destinations themselves, which again is the best way to build confidence in selling these experiences.’
worldjourneys.co.nz/travel-agents/sales-incentives/
Sarah Clarke, Holland Clarke & Beatson; Sarah Crowe, House of Travel High Street Lanes
Davina Bennetto, World Journeys; Sally Sutton, The Travel Brokers
Robyn McCormick, World Journeys; Debbie Green, The Private Travel Company; Delwyn Robinson, The Travel Brokers
Jane Hanson, YOU Travel Bethlehem; Davina Bennetto, World Journeys
House of Travel agents Jenny Anderson and Alana Dresner, Tauranga CBD; Maree Thompson Papamoa; Lisa Scott and Theresa O’Connor, Tauranga CBD
