BYATA Board Members attend TNZ Roadshow
22/10/2020
This week BYATA Board Members are attending TNZ Roadshow events around the country and yesterday Sarah & Collette represented BYATA in the Christchurch Town Hall.
The event was attended by operators throughout the tourism industry, and BYATA member Anne Newman from Christchurch Adventure Park sat on the Q&A panel giving insights into the realities of operating in this Covid climate.
Stephen England-Hall, TNZ's Chief Executive, shared data on Domestic tourism activity so far this year and TNZ's predictions for the future, warning that we should expect a lull post-summer, similar to trends experienced after Spring and Autumn School Holidays this year.
He explained that although domestic tourism is graciously welcomed by each and every operator, it is merely the foundation layer of our tourism economy and will simply allow operators to stay alive until the borders reopen.
The advice from TNZ was clear:
- Check your listing on newzealand.com is up to date as the platform's referrals has increased by over 50%. 75K visit newzealand.com every week with a 12.5% referral rate.
- Take advantage of the support from Qualmark. Qualmark membership is free until next September.
When asked in the Q&A what TNZ are doing in the Domestic backpacker accommodation space, Stephen England-Hall replied that the domestic backpacker is not specifically being targeted by TNZ, however the international backpacker or 'lifestyle traveller' will have the time and money necessary to travel post-Covid.
Loren Heaphy from Christchurch NZ added that ChristchurchNZ are taking a proactive approach to securing sporting and school events in the city which will support backpacker accommodation.
She also added that ChristchurchNZ are targeting international students within New Zealand in conjunction with Education NZ to entice them to the Garden City as they are unable to return home during their Summer break.
The Roadshow continues throughout the country with Queenstown next, followed by Wellington and Rotorua.
