Business View Oceania | Volume 4, Issue 2

41 42 BUSINESS VIEW OCEANIA VOLUME 4, ISSUE 2 BUSINESS VIEW OCEANIA VOLUME 4, ISSUE 2 SAFAR I HOTELS that we have managed to retain a really amazing key staff base is phenomenal.” Safari Hotels identifies their values as: Team Effort (we always work together as a family), Love What We Do (we are passionate about what we do), and You’re Always Welcome (any time and every time). Mr. Trotter shares Safari Hotels’ experience of the COV ID-19 pandemic and explains its effects on the future of their industry. “We have certainly felt the impact of COVID, given that we were established just before it became a global pandemic. The number one challenge for us has been New Zealand’s international borders remaining closed. Like many of our neighbours throughout the Pacific, we haven’t had a clear roadmap as to when the border might reopen, so planning ahead has been difficult. Essentially, 50% of our market was taken away from us overnight.” Safari Hotels’ properties have remained open and full functioning throughout the pandemic to service domestic travel. for them, particularly if they are corporate travellers or families.” The Safari Hotels team is headquartered alongside Safari Group, in their Auckland Safari House offices. As a seasonal employee base, the team can fluctuate from between 60 to 80 staff throughout the year to support travel trends. Given that Sarai Hotels’ demographic is so diverse, including leisure, corporate, and families travelling domestically and overseas, Mr. Trotter says having a core set of values for staff to focus on is incredibly important. “We service a wide range of travellers, and they have an even wider range of needs. We set up our team with appropriate training and centre them around our big three values to make sure they are supported in their work, which has helped us immensely amid the COVID-19 pandemic. The hotel sector has experienced a staffing crisis over the last two years, which is pretty much our entire operations at Safari Hotels. So the fact New Zealand’s hub for kitchen joinery and commercial fit-outs.” “ Christchurch: 03 348 4890 Queenstown: 03 409 0809 e. info@nordzco.co.nz | w. nordzco.co.nz Proud Suppliers of Safari Group www.franklins.co.nz