Business View Oceania | Volume 3, Issue 12

25 26 BUSINESS VIEW OCEANIA VOLUME 3, ISSUE 12 BUSINESS VIEW OCEANIA VOLUME 3, ISSUE 12 TOUR I SM EXPORT COUNC I L OF NEW ZEALAND ( TECNZ) sector has faced of late due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The last two years have certainly devastated a number of businesses here in New Zealand, but we feel it is important to recognise that two years is a short period in the grand scheme of our industry, and that our strengths allow us to be confident in our ability to rebuild.” TECNZ works with a number of strategic partners and government organisations across the country to facilitate the growth and support of the industry. They include but are not limited to: the New Zealand Tourist and Publicity Department (NZTP), the Tourist Hotel Corporation (THC), the New Zealand Government Tourist Bureau (NZGTB), the New Zealand Tourism Board (NZTB), New Zealand Māori Tourism (NZMT), Tourism New Zealand (TNZ), Inbound Tour Wholesalers NZ (ITW), the Inbound Tour Operators Committee, and Council (ITOC), the Tourism Industry Association (TIA), the Bus and Coach Association (BCA), the Travel Agents Association of New Zealand (TAANZ), Business Events Industry Aotearoa (BEIA) Tourism Industry Aotearoa, and the Regional Tourism Organisation of New Zealand (RTONZ). TECNZ also works closely with international partners including the Virtuoso global network and the Australian Tourism Export Council (ATEC). Mrs. Keene shares, “It has been a great source of pride to help guide the New Zealand International Tourism sector through the challenging times that the COVID-19 global pandemic has created. Our sector has a massive impact on the tourism industry, and therefore on our country’s economy. We were the first economic driver sector to be affected, and since then we have lost over 60% of our inbound tour operators. A large part of remedying this loss and moving our sector back towards viable growth will be utilising the partnerships we have with likeminded organisations and groups, many of which we have sustained for decades.” Mrs. Keene would also like to highlight YoungTEC, a professional development program Tourism Trade Checklist; business networking, growth, and education opportunities including the annual TECNZ Conference; investigation, investment, and assistance in marketing growth; free business listings on the TECNZ website, regular newsletter and email communications; industry-specific resource provision; and, free membership to the Young Tourism Export Council of New Zealand (YoungTEC). TECNZ also extends recognition to Life Members as industry stakeholders awarded for their outstanding service to the association. CEO Lynda Keene showcases the ability of TECNZ as they celebrate their 50-year anniversary in 2021. “We celebrated our 50th Anniversary this August with a 50th Anniversary Gala Dinner and special publication, ‘TECNZ: 50 years of Bringing Visitors to New Zealand’. It has been wonderful to celebrate this milestone despite the challenges our international tourism chains, holiday parks, luxury lodges, airports and airlines, rail companies and organisations, rental car, coach, and minivan agencies, shuttle transport, cruise companies, activity, experience, and attraction operators, registered tour operators, and tourism service providers. TECNZ connects allied industry members with inbound tour operator members to develop and service commercial relationships across the travel distribution chain. As the only association that focuses entirely on the inbound tourism sector, TECNZ extends a range of benefits to 288 company members across both tiers. These include: Industry influence and advocacy; a joint membership with Tourism Industry Aotearoa (TIA); discounts and savings on Department of Conservation (DOC) fees; quality standards distribution; Qualmark endorsement and annual license fee inclusion; free access to centralised online