Travel Agents Association of New Zealand

TRAVEL AGENTS ASSOC I AT ION OF NEW ZEALAND ( TAANZ) due to the pandemic. Mr Thomas shares, “There are four main types of travel we are going to see boom once the border reopen. The first is corporate travel. As an exporting country, New Zealand relies heavily on international business and global trade, and the pandemic has really hampered our ability to do so. If we aren’t out there meeting customers and suppliers soon, those opportunities will simply go to someone else. That could have some really negative consequences for our economy long-term. Next is compassionate travel for things like weddings, funerals, and end of life planning. It’s coming up to two years now that people have been unable to see their loved ones, so this is incredibly important to help heal our global citizens and take care of their mental health. Third I would say is personal travel, and that is for people like luxury tourism participants and perhaps those who want to holiday as part of their retirement. The last travel type we are going to see a lot of is family travel. Parents and their kids have been cooped up in the house thanks to lockdowns and border restrictions, and the strain we see on carers is immense. So they really need some quality family time away from home with their kids.” New Zealand’s travel industry is likely to undergo significant reformation due to the lasting effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. TAANZ is ready to help its members facilitate these changes, no matter what they may be, when international travel returns to the country in force. Senior representatives are confident that the future looks bright, and that New Zealand travel agents, travel brokers, and tour operators will continue to benefit from their membership with the organisation as the sector begins to come alive once again. Mr. Thomas explains that a lack of concrete information surrounding the ease of restrictions has been difficult for the association and its members. “Some of our members have had to hibernate, so to speak, and pick up second jobs to supplement their own income during this time. It’s very difficult for us to provide them with a ballpark date as to when they’ll be able to resume operations, because we just don’t know when it will be safe to open the borders to international travel.” TAANZ collaborates with Tourism New Zealand as a Destination Partner to boost domestic travel and encourage association members to showcase everything New Zealand has to offer. Tourism New Zealand provides an extensive resource hub for travel agents that covers regional information, itinerary inspiration, and a partner toolkit to assist in client marketing for domestic tourism. The organisation also encourages TAANZ members to take part in their 100% Pure New Zealand Specialist Programme. Upon completion of this opportunity, travel agents will become a certified 100% Pure New Zealand Specialist, gain expert knowledge and marketing tools to further encourage New Zealand residents to explore their nation, and be awarded exclusive access to the 100% Pure New Zealand Specialist logo. Moving forward, TAANZ expects a high level of demand from would-be travellers looking to rearrange excursions that have been cancelled