People
Clear goals, learning from quakes and covid all part of Innovative Travel’s 35 years
Innovative Travel’s managing director Robyn Galloway says a key to her company’s longevity is in large part due to clear goals and firm pillars of business right from the start.
Travel & Co names GM
Rhiannon Grieve has been appointed general manager at Travel & Co.
Courtney to leave Flight Centre in restructure
Flight Centre Travel Group New Zealand managing director Tori Courtney will leave the business in the coming weeks, following her role being made redundant.
FCTG NZ appoints head of lux
Kelly de Graaf has been appointed FCTG New Zealand head of luxury.
Jodie Burnard to leave Flight Centre
After a 19-years with Flight Centre Travel Group, Jodie Burnard, global product lead for Envoyage, will leave the business at the end of December. Burnard has accepted redundancy as part of ongoing changes within the Envoyage Global business.
Southern agents head to ADL
To mark the launch of non-stop flights between Christchurch and Adelaide, Air New Zealand hosted seven local travel trade to South Australia to experience the region’s food, wine and events.
Our Pacific's Shelley Gutry to retire
Shelley Gutry, Our Pacific product manager, will retire on Monday, 8 December, after more than 14 years with the company.
Orbit gains sustainability recognition
Orbit World Travel has achieved Toitū Carbon Reduce Certification which is independently verified by Toitū Envirocare.
House of Travel a best workplace – again
House of Travel was named the Large Workplace of the Year winner in the Best Places to Work 2025 last night for the extraordinary culture the company has built.
HoT Group acquires Levin’s YOU Travel
House of Travel Group has acquired YOU Travel Levin, expanding its national retail footprint in the lower North Island.
Adele Barker back to NZ
Air New Zealand has announced the return of Adele Barker to the business as indirect channel training and engagement manager, effective 3 November.
TTC Tour Brands makes trade sales changes
TTC Tour Brands (Trafalgar, Insight Vacations, Costsaver and Contiki) has made changes to its trade sales function across Australia and New Zealand, designed to provide stronger in-market support to travel agent partners.
Incentive travel pioneer's 30-year ad-Venture
Venture Travel and Events, a business built virtually entirely through referrals and repeat business, marked its 30-year anniversary with a function at Park Hyatt Auckland on Saturday.
X marks the spot among list of Envoyage achievers
The Envoyage awards ceremony at Millennium Queenstown was ‘bookended’ by xtravel on Saturday night – with the company taking the first award presented (platinum sponsor Air New Zealand award) and then rounding proceedings off by being named Envoyage division of the year.
HoT winners take stage
House of Travel Group honoured their talented people at Saturday’s A Day in Wellywood conference followed by A Night at the Hotties awards.
Mckearney to lead Intrepid Travel in NZ
Intrepid Travel has appointed Simon Mckearney as its new country general manager, New Zealand.
New role for QF’s Alex O’Connor
Qantas has named Alexandra O’Connor as its new head of sales channels, commencing in the role from July 2025.
Envoyage support team expands
Envoyage Group has expanded its support team, bringing more industry knowledge and experience particularly across the wide range of systems used by its members – from GDS and NDC ticketing to finance and learning and development.
Viva appointment
Bryony Legg has joined Viva Expeditions as a Latin America and Polar destination specialist.
More agents opt into Envoyage
Envoyage has announced the growth of its network, as more members move to become Envoyage branded agents.
World Journeys turns 18
The team at World Journeys celebrated the company’s 18th birthday last week and say doing business through some of the most challenging of those years has made them better.
New at Wendy Wu Tours
Wendy Wu Tours has appointed Samantha Martin as its new account manager for the North Island, covering regions north of Taupo.
New country manager at Kiwi Holiday Insurance
Kiwi Holiday Insurance (KHI) has appointed Mike van Beekhuizen as its new country manager for New Zealand, effective now.
Mark O’Donnell joins GTN board
Global Travel Network (GTN) has appointed Mark O’Donnell (MOD) as a strategic advisor to its board. MOD brings a wealth of experience to GTN, having spent 12 years with House of Travel, including nine years as CEO.
Four Kiwis join Brand USA’s Ambassador Panel
Brand USA’s 12 member Australian and New Zealand Ambassador Panel – a first-of-its-kind programme for the organisation globally – has been revealed and includes four Kiwi agents.
New with Innovative Travel
Jodi Phillipson is joining Innovative Travel’s reservations team.
APT launches Anne Waterhouse Legacy Award
APT Travel Group took its VIP events to New Zealand for a celebration at the Sudima Hotel Auckland last week.
Expedia TAAP appoints new director ANZ
Expedia TAAP has appointed Chris Ellis as director, TAAP ANZ. Ellis steps into the role following the retirement of Stu Udy, who has held the position for the past 15 years.
HoT Takapuna: ‘We’re back’
House of Travel Takapuna has reopened after a five-year hiatus, responding to customer demand for face-to-face connections in an increasingly digital world.
New trade manager NZ for Tahiti
Tahiti Tourisme New Zealand has appointed Bianca Henry as trade manager, effective 3 March 2025.
Four Kiwi incentive winners off to Tahiti
Tahiti Tourisme has announced the winners of its incentive for the travel trade, the Tahiti Dream Big competition, with four winners in New Zealand who each won a trip for two to The Islands of Tahiti.
NZ account manager for KTO
Following a successful first year of representation in the New Zealand market, Korea Tourism Organization (KTO) is increasing its investment with the appointment of a full-time account manager for KTO at The Walshe Group.
Still buzzing after seven years
A career in travel is where ambition meets opportunity, according to House of Travel Hobsonville owner-operator Mike (Buzz) Thomson.
Tonga appoints official ANZ rep
Tonga Tourism Authority (TTA) has appointed Precise Travel Marketing (PTM) as its official representative in the Australian and New Zealand markets. The partnership aims to enhance awareness and promote the Kingdom of Tonga as a premier travel destination in the South Pacific.
HoT names new-look air team
House of Travel has appointed Vanessa Parker as its head of air commercial, which will see her expanding her existing responsibilities as commercial manager – air.
Sutherland now GM at Viva Expeditions
Viva Expeditions has announced Tara Sutherland as its new general manager. She steps into the role with 17 years of experience in the adventure travel industry, including 11 years at Viva. Her expertise spans all of Viva’s destinations, from Antarctica and the Arctic to Africa and Latin America.
HoT’s ‘litmus test’ store marks 38 years
This week, House of Travel Timaru owner operator Darryl Sandri and his team have marked 38 years in business.
More join Wanderlust Travel Experts
Wanderlust Travel Experts has announced the addition of four experienced brokers, to its network.
Growth, new opportunities for Travel Connections
The Travel Connections team conference in Auckland recently had a celebratory note as well as a determination to further increase the number of shareholder/brokers in the group.
Leslie to Air Canada
Airline Marketing New Zealand (AMNZ) has appointed James Leslie as the new business development executive dedicated to the Air Canada account.
Two agencies make Deloitte's Fast 50 Index
Two travel agencies are regional finalists in the Deloitte NZ Fast 50 Index, which celebrates and ranks New Zealand’s fastest growing companies.
Jones moves on, but he’ll be around
After 48 years in the travel industry Chris Jones has ‘passed on the baton’ now that the transition of Discover the World (DTW) NZ to DTW HQ is nearing completion.
Aupiki joins Wanderlust Travel Experts
JJ Ripikoi, founder of Aupiki, has joined Wanderlust Travel Experts.
High profile industry faces join Fuzion team
Angela Mills has joined Fuzion Travel on a contract basis. Her role will be focused on strategy and future proofing.
New at Canuckiwi
Canuckiwi has appointed Peri McCardle as an account director, Australia and New Zealand.
xtravel, Travel Professionals join forces
xtravel and Travel Professionals have announced a strategic partnership aimed at expanding and enhancing support for their leisure customers.
Cath McLeod leads new travel broker group
A familiar face in the world of broker agents, Cath McLeod, will lead Wanderlust Travel Experts Limited, launching in June.
NCL promotions follow strong 2024 start
Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL) has promoted Damian Borg to director of sales strategy and operations for Asia Pacific and Angela Middleton to director of field sales for Australia/New Zealand on the heels of achieving robust bookings growth in the region compared to the same time last year.
SAA appointment
South African Airways (SAA) has appointed Michael Hall as country manager, Australia and New Zealand effective now.
New role for Butler at QF
Aloma Butler has been promoted into a new role of sales operations manager at Qantas. She will lead the carrier’s sales support and group sales team in New Zealand and the Pacific Islands. The role is responsible for optimising efficiency and effectiveness in the operation and working with various stakeholders to implement process improvements as required.
Viva Expeditions’ new BDM
Rosemary McNoe has joined Viva Expeditions as business development manager.
Thapar to MSC Cruises
MSC Cruises has appointed Alka Thapar as business development manager for New Zealand. Thapar brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise to MSC Cruises, with an impressive career in the New Zealand Travel Industry. This includes notable stints at Globus, Hawaiian Airlines, Princess Cruises, Rail Plus, and Air New Zealand.
James Leslie to Aircalin
Aircalin has appointed James Leslie as its new sales executive for the New Zealand region.
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New owner-operator at HoT Ponsonby
Patrick McCarthy is the new owner-operator at House of Travel Ponsonby, All Saints Centre, 282 Ponsonby Road.
Expedia TAAP’s top booker winners
Mary Fisken of Pukekohe Travel has won the top booker prize in Expedia TAAP’s recent Marriott New Caledonia promotion. She has won a two-night stay at each of Le Méridien Noumea and Sheraton Deva, including breakfast for two adults. She also receives return economy airfares for two thanks to Aircalin, while New Caledonia Tourism is covering the airfare taxes.
Luxury travel advisor achieves milestone
Luxury travel brand Travel Associates is continuing its expansion in New Zealand, while rewarding travel advisors in the process.
Michael Cory-Toussaint has been a rising star in the brand, being fundamental in the growth of Travel Associates’ store in Howick.
Broker group going ‘gang busters’
Aspire Travel Group (ATG) is expecting a degree of ‘normality’ to return to the market over the next year. However the company’s principals, Man Nghi Luong and Ian Peddie say that currently the business continues to go ‘gang-busters’.