Peeni Henare, the Minister of Tourism of New Zealand, said that as part of the government’s support for the industry’s efforts to rebuild a better, stronger, and more resilient tourist sector, technology adoption and innovation are being boosted to support Better Work.
The Minister stated that “New Zealand continues to be one of the world’s top tourism destinations, and with the borders open, international visitors are returning. We need to support our sector to rebuild a more resilient future that leaves people, communities, and the environment better off than before.”
This entails ensuring that the staff in the tourism industry is knowledgeable and supported through training, suitable career options, salary, and working conditions. “We all want tourism to be a good career option, and that starts by ensuring it is,” Minister Peeni said.
With this, innovation and the implementation of technology are essential for increasing efficiency, providing better work, and boosting the value of tourism offerings.
There is numerous potential to raise the industry’s embrace of technology in order to improve business efficiencies and/or job quality, as well as to foster greater innovation. To be part of this are initiatives on the following:
- Develop Digital Boost tourism and hospitality content;
- Expo/trade shows to showcase existing and emerging technologies to the tourism industry;
- Encourage more utilisation of business support tools and resources;
- Accelerator programme for innovation in tourism;
- Innovation in tourism business models, to support purpose-led and intergenerational objectives.
Also, the Better Work strategy calls for the formation of a Tourism and Hospitality Accord. This will be a voluntary employer accreditation programme that will identify businesses in travel and hospitality that treat their employees well.
Companies who sign up for the Accord will be able to demonstrate that they are excellent employers, which will help them attract top talent. Closer engagement between industry and education providers will be established to guarantee that the necessary skills are taught to fill the sector’s employment openings.
In addition, the Minister stated that they will examine whether employee-sharing may mitigate the volatile and seasonal aspects of the tourism industry. He desired to change the image – and for some, the truth – that working in tourism does not pay well and might be unstable and low-paying. This Action Plan will assist to enhance conditions so that tourism is a fulfilling and appealing career option for both locals and visitors.
As part of the Industry Transformation Plan, a collaboration between industry, unions, Maori, and the government, the work to restructure the tourism sector has been formulated. The Minister added that it is time to be optimistic about the future of the sector and to rebuild the industry so that it is more robust and sustainable for both tourists and workers.
The Tourism and Hospitality Agreement is incorporated into the Better Work strategy. This will be a voluntary employer accreditation programme that identifies tourism and hospitality businesses that treat their employees well.
Companies who join the Accord will be able to demonstrate that they are exemplary employers, thereby enhancing their ability to recruit top talent. Industry and educational institutions will work more closely together to guarantee that the proper skills are being taught to fill the positions required by the sector.
The plan has comprised six Tirohanga Hou (new outlook and ways of thinking) including technological advancement which is supported by some initiatives to attain transformational change. These are:
- Recognising quality employers and improving employment standards and practices
- Fit-for-purpose education and training
- Embrace the flux, enable the flex
- Improving cultural competency and ensuring authentic storytelling
- Lifting technology uptake and innovation to support Better Work
- Showcasing the great – pathways and people in tourism