ITC Industry News Bulletin #30

Welcome to the 30th edition of the ITC Industry News Bulletin! In this week’s airline, travel and tourism news, NZ’s top 10 Instagrammed locations are named, a new report shines a light on the current state of the industry and much more.

TOP STORIES

New Zealand’s ten most Instagrammed locations revealed

Waiheke Island is New Zealand’s ‘most Instagrammed’ location, it was revealed earlier this week. The popular holiday destination secured the top spot ahead of several other beautiful places – see the full list below.

1. Waiheke Island
2. Mount Maunganui
3. Hobbiton Movie Set
4. Sky Tower
5. Takapuna Beach
6. Lake Tekapo
7. Piha Beach
8. Wanaka Lakefront
9. Museum of Te Papa Tongarewa
10. Skyline Queenstown

The list was compiled based on how many pictures were geo-tagged in each location.

Director of marketing at Tourism New Zealand, Andrew Fraser, told The Bay of Plenty Times that there has been an increase of activity on Instagram recently.

“We can see through the growth of the @PureNewZealand Instagram account and the popularity of the #NZMustDo campaign that both visitors and New Zealanders alike are turning to Instagram to share their New Zealand experiences,” Mr Fraser said.

(more…)

ITC graduate gets her ‘Disney Ears’

Taryn Brown, a former ITC student, recently graduated from the Disney World Cultural Exchange Program.

Exactly 8 months ago to the day, ITC graduate Taryn Brown received the good news that she was off to Disney World for the work experience trip of a lifetime.

Participating in the Disney Cultural Exchange Program has been a goal of Taryn’s since she started studying tourism at ITC. After much hard work and determination, in August she found herself on a plane to Orlando – her dream was coming true.

Now, many new friends and amazing memories later, Taryn has graduated from the program and received her ‘Disney Ears’.

(more…)

ITC Industry News Bulletin #29

This week’s top news stories from the airline, travel and tourism industry.

TOP STORIES

Air New Zealand named Airline of the Year for third year running

New Zealand’s national airline has once again been recognised for world-class excellence. Air New Zealand has been named Airline of the Year by AirlineRatings.com for the third year in a row.

AirlineRatings.com is a website which rates and reviews aviation products and safety systems. Editor-in-Chief Geoffrey Thomas believes Air New Zealand’s commitment to its staff is one reason why the airline continues to outperform competitors.

“Air New Zealand’s focus on its staff has resulted in outstanding performance right across the airline at every touch point and the airline’s innovation continues to impress, including the recently launched tracking of unaccompanied children,” says Mr Thomas.

“Given Air New Zealand’s location and the country size, its performance is stunning,” he added.

Over 430 airlines were rated by AirlineRatings.com as part of the judging process.

(more…)

ITC students meet industry leaders at Tourism New Zealand Roadshow

ITC Level 5 students are pictured with Tourism New Zealand chief executive Kevin Bowler at the recent Tourism New Zealand Roadshow, held at SKYCITY Hotel and Convention Centre.

A selection of tourism students from the International Travel College (ITC) recently attended the Tourism New Zealand Roadshow in Auckland, where they had the good fortune to mingle with several industry leaders.

Held at the SKYCITY Hotel and Convention Centre, the Roadshow included updates from Tourism New Zealand, Auckland Tourism, Events and Economic Development (ATEED), Service IQ and more.

ITC tutor Inder Singh took some of his Level 5 students to the event so they could benefit from the knowledge and expertise of top industry professionals.

“The Tourism New Zealand Auckland Roadshow was an excellent opportunity for students to hear first-hand about the Tourism 2025 goals,” says Inder.

(more…)

ITC Industry News Bulletin #28

In this week’s airline, travel and tourism news, a Tourism New Zealand marketing campaign is performing exceptionally well, Air New Zealand’s 7th anniversary exhibition comes to Auckland and more.

TOP STORIES

New campaign ad rating higher than 100% Middle-earth

A new Tourism New Zealand marketing campaign, ‘Every Day a Different Journey’, is performing exceptionally well. Launched in July, the campaign’s TVC is currently rating higher than previous middle-earth ads in Australia, China, USA, UK, Germany and Japan.

According to an evaluation undertaken in October, the ad is rating at an average of 77 per cent, whereas middle-earth ads rated an average of 64 per cent.

Director of Marketing at Tourism New Zealand, Andrew Fraser, said it was a “massive challenge” to follow the success of the middle-earth campaign, so he’s pleased to see the new approach is working.

“These results show that our idea of presenting a visit to New Zealand as a series of interlinking, spectacular experiences within relatively easy reach is an absolute winner. It’s great news,” Mr Fraser said.

(more…)

‘I’m over the moon’: ITC graduate secures dream job

Tony Moses is ‘over the moon’ about the education he received from ITC. Tony studied the Level 3 Certificate in Tourism with a Strand in Aviation and recently started a new job with Menzies Aviation.

A graduate from the International Travel College of New Zealand (ITC) has landed a great job with Menzies Aviation at Auckland Airport – and he believes this is largely thanks to the support and encouragement of his tutors.

“I’m over the moon with how much time and support the tutors gave me and my classmates,” says Tony Moses, who recently completed the Level 3 New Zealand Certificate in Tourism with a Strand in Aviation at ITC’s South Auckland Campus.

“They give so much of their own time and advice, and help students with whatever career direction they want to go in. I’m honoured to be known as an ITC graduate,” he added.

(more…)

ITC Industry News Bulletin #27

In this week’s airline, travel and tourism news, Air New Zealand announces new flights to Vietnam and New Zealand could be on the road to securing the title of ‘World’s Best Country’ for the fourth year in a row.

TOP STORIES

Air New Zealand to fly direct to Vietnam

In case you missed the exciting announcement late last week, Air New Zealand is set to start flying direct to Vietnam. The airline is launching a seasonal service between Auckland and Ho Chi Minh City from June to October next year. Flying three days a week, the flight time will be approximately 11 hours.

Air New Zealand chief executive Christopher Luxon says the new service “provides the ideal gateway” for Kiwis to experience Vietnam’s myriad attractions.

“Vietnam is an increasingly popular leisure destination with the number of Kiwis visiting the country up about 20 percent in the past year,” Mr Luxon said in a statement.

“It’s a holiday spot that has huge appeal and we’re confident that by offering a direct service even more Kiwis will be keen to explore it.”

Mr Luxon added that the direct flight will also make it easier for Vietnamese travellers to visit New Zealand.

(more…)

ITC short courses inspire secondary school students to study tourism at tertiary level

A group of secondary school students learn about NZ’s exciting tourism industry thanks to an interactive ITC short course.

The International Travel College of New Zealand’s passion for the tourism industry has inspired a cohort of secondary school students to pursue this exciting career choice.

Every year, the ITC short course team educates hundreds of 15, 16 and 17 year olds about New Zealand’s airline, travel and tourism industry, through interactive lessons, practical activities and industry visits.

The aim of these short courses is to show students what it’s really like to work in tourism, so they have plenty of information when it comes to making a decision about what to study when they leave school.

While some go on to pursue other passions, many short course students ‘catch the tourism bug’ and decide to study the subject at tertiary level. This is a great win for the tourism industry, which is currently in a high-growth phase in New Zealand and in need of skilled, motivated workers.

(more…)

ITC Industry News Bulletin #26

In this week’s airline, travel and tourism news, Qantas and American Airlines announce a new daily service between Auckland and LA, accommodation providers enjoy another record-breaking month and more.

TOP STORIES

New American air service brings economic benefits

Qantas and American Airlines have announced a new daily route between Los Angeles and Auckland, with regional New Zealand connections via Jetstar. Chief executive of the Tourism Industry Association Chris Roberts says this new service is yet another step in the right direction towards NZ’s Tourism 2025 goals.

“The US is our third biggest visitor market and they enjoy what we have to offer. Tourism operators around the country will be keen to support this new service with activities and experiences that appeal to North American visitors,” says Mr Roberts.

“It’s fantastic to see airlines responding to the strong demand out of North America to visit New Zealand by increasing the supply.”

The new service is planned to commence in June 2016.

(more…)

ITC’s team building tenpin bowling fun

Students from ITC enjoy a fun day tenpin bowling at Metrolanes in Queen Street.

Last Tuesday students from the International Travel College of New Zealand (ITC) descended upon Metrolanes in Queen Street for a day of tenpin bowling fun.

Every class from the City Campus participated in this team building event, a wonderful opportunity for students to get to know each other outside of college.

ITC organises events like this every few months to help students to stay motivated and engaged. Just a few weeks ago, the South Auckland Campus organised an X-Factor competition for similar reasons. Sometimes a break from the classroom is the best thing for productivity levels.

“These events are a great chance for students to make new friends, improve their self-confidence and just generally have a bit of fun. After all, that’s what the tourism industry is about – working with people and having a great time!” says Tisi Tupou, Student Services Adviser.

What’s more, the better students get along, the more likely they are going to look forward to coming to college. Having a good group of friends in the classroom helps students stay on track. By the time graduation rolls around, most students have made lifelong friendships.

“It’s heart-warming to see friendships blossom around the college,” says ITC’s City Campus Manager Michelle Chatfield.

“As long as students are attending class on time, abiding by the college dress code and of course completing their work to a good standard, then we encourage them to have as much fun as possible while they’re here. Like Tisi said, tourism is a fun industry and we like to reflect this on campus.”

With the year nearly coming to an end, the next student event is likely to be Christmas related – watch this space!