Traveltrade june 2013

MONTHLY MAGAZINE OF THE TRAVEL INDUSTRY $5.50 | June 2013 Volume 41 Issue 5

Tahiti for a song Hottest South East Asia destinations for 2013

Re-treat yourself Australia’s best health retreats

PLUS Vanuatu supplement

contents

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NEWS

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Avalon Waterways update

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Folks

PROFILE

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Tony Laskey from Contiki

We take a look at some of Australia’s best health retreats

FEATURES

EXPERT PANEL

6 South East Asia The Philippines and Vietnam, along with perennial favourites Thailand and Indonesia, are drawing scores of Kiwis this year

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Tahiti for a song Doing Tahiti on a budget: Tahiti Tourisme expounds the myths

Be kept in the loop!

Girls’ getaways

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Human resources: Diane Hallifax Dollars and sense: Paul Davies

PLUS Vanuatu supplement

Subscribe to Traveltrade and stay ahead of your industry www.traveltrade.co.nz or phone Sue on 09 529 3000 or email subs@mediaweb.co.nz June 2013

Mediaweb, Subscriptions Dept, Freepost 288, PO Box 5544, Wellesley Street, Auckland 1141. Fax: (09) 529 3001

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news Cover shot courtesy of Tahiti Tourisme

www.traveltrade.co.nz a Mediaweb magazine editor: Hayley Barnett P: +64 22 030 0472 E: hayleyb@mediaweb.co.nz Group SALES MANAGER: Lisa Morris adVERTising sales manager: Trish Day P: +64 9 575 3628 M: +64 275 616 556 E: admanager@traveltrade.co.nz advertising copy CO ORDINATOR: Pip Maclean P: +64 9 529 3000 E: ads@mediaweb.co.nz DESIGNER: Bex Mikaere PRODUCTION MANAGER: Fran Marshall P: +64 274 304 559 E: franm@mediaweb.co.nz CIRCULATION/SUBSCRIPTIONS: Sue McDiarmid P: +64 9 300 2671 E: subs@mediaweb.co.nz aCCOUNTANT: Pam King P: +64 9 300 2670 E: pamk@mediaweb.co.nz PUBLISHER: Toni Myers

WIN two tickets to Dracula’s on the Gold Coast Be in with a chance to win two tickets to Dracula’s new show (Tuesday to Thursday) in VIP seating and two tickets to the Haunted House Attraction in Surfers Paradise.

Dracula’s new adult cabaret show on the Gold Coast, Sin and Tonic, offers a sizzling night of vampirethemed burlesque, aerial circus and comic insanity, while the Haunted House Attraction offers an amazing interactive journey through five creepy levels of thrills, museum

oddities and optical illusions.

To win tickets to both, simply visit traveltrade.co.nz and follow the instructions.

Suite times for Avalon Waterways Avalon Waterways is cruising to new heights with the addition of three new suite ships to its fleet in 2014. This will take the total number of suite ships to eight out of 13 in Avalon’s fleet.

The Avalon Waterways team gave a presentation to Auckland travel media recently, showcasing the new ships’ two decks of all-suite accommodation, including the Panorama Suites which are 30 per cent larger than the industry average. Each suite features an open air balcony – a new concept for river cruising.

In 2014, Avalon Waterways (part of the Globus brand) will offer more than 30 different European itineraries along with its world collection, featuring Egypt, China, South-East Asia, North and South America.

Next year, Avalon will offer a variety of new special interest cruises, including a beer-tasting cruise, golf cruise, wellness cruise, WWI history cruise and a new destination and cruise – the Peruvian Amazon, featuring a cruise aboard MV Aria. ➦ www.avalonwaterways.co.nz

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Symbols of Integrity in Publishing

June 2013

Globus marketing manager New Zealand Letitia Eyes and Globus general manager New Zealand Troy Ackerman

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news folks Alvin Soh Flight Centre (NZ) has appointed Alvin Soh to the position of chief financial officer. Soh will be responsible for the reporting of Flight Centre New Zealand’s financial results and will work alongside Flight Centre’s senior management team to develop strategic direction for the company.

Soh previously worked in leadership positions for Flight Centre New Zealand before moving to the USA to help in the acquisition of The Liberty Group by Flight Centre Limited.

Previous CFO, Alex Davis, is returning to the United Kingdom to continue his career in the Flight Centre family.

Dominique Rennell Dominique Rennell has been promoted at cievents to assistant team leader. Rennell will manage the running, growth and development of the operations team while being responsible for the development of

team members.

Business leader of cievents, Julie Watt, believes Rennell will do a fantastic job in her new position.

“Dominique has been with cievents for one year and is an accomplished and experienced event director. With a proven track record of success, it’s fantastic to see her moving into a leadership role.”

Tipu Ngapo Sales and personal effectiveness training organisation, David Forman, has appointed Tipu Ngapo as a senior facilitator with specialist expertise in training airline, travel and tourism staff. His talents lie in training the soft skills of sales, negotiation, customer service and time

management, with global experience as a trainer working across Asia, Europe, the Middle East , Canada and Australia. Recent experience includes training Qantas customer service staff across Australia and working with the Australian based train travel company, Country Link. Ngapo brings a mix of in-market knowledge and industry expertise, as well as best-practice training under the David Forman brand.

Marie Coles Marie Coles joins The Innovative Travel Co as North Island business development manager. Marie’s experience covers both retail and wholesale in the 18 years she has been in the travel industry. She has a particular passion for unique destinations and lists Vietnam, Uganda, Israel, Turkey and Egypt as some of her favourites.

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Profile

Tony Laskey

All about Asia Contiki New Zealand general manager Tony Laskey always knew he would end up exactly where he is. In fact, he paved his path to precision.

After travelling with Contiki on his OE, Laskey decided this was the company for him. Now, as New Zealand general manager, he has also picked up the responsibility of Contiki’s key Asian markets. As regional director sales and marketing, he plans to spend more time in Asia working with Contiki’s team there to grow the outbound youth travel market.

Here, Laskey gives us a rundown on the new role and Contiki’s newest ventures.

June 2013

Give us an idea of your career background. How did you end up working for Contiki?

Believe it or not, I set off on my own big OE in 1996 with an airfare to London, two Contiki tours booked and a passion

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to see the world. First stop was four months in North America kicking off with an LA to the Bay tour, then Christmas and New Year on a Contiki Europe winter tour and a week’s skiing in Austria’s Hopfgarten.

After six months of travelling, I was sold on Contiki and thought about working for the company as a coach driver. I saved money working in London, finding time to do another Contiki in Europe – an Oktoberfest trip in 1997. I returned back to New Zealand shortly afterwards to get my coach licence so I could apply for a role as a driver in Europe for Contiki.

Returning to London in early 1998, I was gutted to find that the European law had changed only two weeks earlier, and it was no longer a simple case of changing over your Kiwi coach licence for a European one.

Consoling myself with a Big Mac and

a copy of TNT magazine, I came across an ad for a Contiki UK/Ireland sales executive – my dream job. That gave me my start and, after two of the best years of my life in that role, I trained as a tour manager working two seasons in Europe and meeting my wife Catherine along the way.

We moved back to New Zealand after 9/11 where I took up a role with Tourism Holdings Limited before the chance came up to rejoin Contiki as general manager of Contiki NZ in 2007.

Tell us about your new role.

We have an office in Singapore, which is where our Asia sales and marketing team is based. The team there now report to me and I will be spending more time with them in market. The Contiki brand has recognition in some markets but in many parts of Asia it

is relatively unknown – very different to being a household name in New Zealand. So the challenge is to build the brand in those markets and ensure that we have the right agents selling our product and that we provide them with the tools they need to do that.

What do you consider the main goals for you in this role and what do you predict will be the biggest challenges?

The main goal is to grow sales in both regions. Asia is the biggest growth market for travel and we need to ensure that Contiki is positioned to benefit from that growth. The biggest challenge is simply the size and scale. There are four billion people in Asia and the additional challenge of multiple languages and different cultural norms and values.

What appeals to you about working in the travel industry?

Definitely the people. I love the people that I work with and enjoy the buzz of connecting young travellers with the time of their lives, through our holidays.

What type of client would suit a Contiki tour and can you give us some selling tips?

sights; ME Time for independent discovery or optional activities; accommodation in some of the best locations; the services of our expert team; authentic cuisine and experiences that only a local friend in the know can show them.

What's new at Contiki?

We are always evolving at Contiki, adding new destinations and improving our product to meet youth travellers’ needs. We introduced Costa Rica, Ecuador and the Galapagos to our Latin America programme this year, and just this month we have released our latest USA and Canada programme with two new tours, the 22-day Big West covering the west coast of both countries in depth and the eight-day Powder Rush, combining a ski tour with a West Canadian road trip packed with Contiki’s Backstage Pass inclusions.

What has been your greatest achievement so far, both professionally and personally?

Personally, it’s definitely my wife and two young sons. Professionally it would be last year, where I accepted the award for Best Sales Office at our Contiki Global Meetup in Vietnam. It was an honour to be presented with this award in front of my peers.

What keeps you sane?

My family. In saying that though, having a four-year-old and a one-year-old in the house also gives me a degree of insanity.

What are you reading?

Richard Branson’s Like a Virgin: Secrets They Won’t Teach You at Business School.

Do you have any guiding principles?

The world is about people, not things.

Great people make a great company.

Celebrate individuality, diversity, connections and a little bit of craziness.

Contiki in San Francisco

June 2013

Put simply, young travellers aged between 18 and 35 years old. Contiki is the original adventure travel specialist since 1962 so we are experts at connecting young travellers, which is at the heart of everything we do. Whether travellers are going solo, travelling as a couple or with friends, they will meet like-minded people on the way.

We made our name showcasing Europe to travellers and we still do that today but the modern day Contiki offers much more. My best sales tip for agents is to pick the right Contiki tour for each client. With holidays in South East Asia, North and South America, Europe and within Australasia we have a huge variety of adventures – a multi-country concept tour to Europe is a different holiday to our Ecuador and Galapagos Island Hopper.

Agents can be confident when they choose Contiki for their clients that they will get a Backstage Pass to each destination giving exclusive access to top

“Great people make a great company.”

Another key area for Contiki, given our 18-35s demographic, is technology with our mobile phone app Shout launched for Android users last month. Launched last October as an iPhone app for passengers to connect with each other prior to, during and after their trip, the app was recently named as Most Innovative Social Media App by Travel and Leisure Magazine.

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South east asia

Balinese temple shrines

Maya Bay, Thailand

Halong Bay, Vietnam

Nusa Lembogan, Bali

June 2013

Bangkok, Thailand

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Boracay, Philippines

HOT-test South East Asia destinations for 2013 Phuket (Thailand) and Bali (Indonesia) are still the major players when it comes to South East Asia holiday destinations for Kiwis, says House of Travel. But, this year, Vietnam and the Philippines are also drawing the crowds. beaches,” says Thomas. “Typically for couples, Boracay is slightly off the beaten track so its one of those emerging markets. People going there are usually into adventure sports like kite-surfing and diving. Kiwis are often after something different and Boracay certainly has a lot of potential.”

Kiwis on their second and third trips to South East Asia tend to take a more independent style holiday, combining less visited countries such as Cambodia, Laos and Myanmar.

However, Thomas says Myanmar, which became a popular destination in 2012, has dropped off the radar lately.

“Myanmar just doesn’t have the infrastructure that some of its neighbours do,” he says. “There are still some restrictions on travel, making numbers to the destination quite low.

It had a growth spurt due to air time in the media but numbers are still nowhere near those of Thailand and Bali. They are very small numbers.”

He added that South East Asia is considered a short-haul flight from New Zealand, but its average length of stay continues to be around eight to ten days.

“Although flying time is only around eight hours, we’re not seeing significant numbers of Kiwis visiting the region for

long weekends. They’re still typically going for eight to 10-day periods.”

Getting around Bangkok Airways (PG) is a boutique airline provider in the region with airports and lounges, and a modern fleet of aircraft.

Since 2004, PG has defined itself as Asia’s Boutique Airline, and the airline of choice for discerning travellers. It redesigned airport lounges and customer service from check-in to arrival, completed a major upgrade in its in-flight meals, and purchased new aircraft.

PG offers nine domestic destinations (Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Krabi, Lampang, Pattaya, Phuket, Samui, Sukhothai, and Trat) and 11 international (Dhaka, Hong Kong, Kuala Lumpur, Luang Prabang, Maldives, Mumbai, Phnom Penh, Siem Reap, Singapore, Vientiane and Yangon). ➥ www.bangkokair.com June 2013

House of Travel (HOT) representative Brent Thomas says that while numbers to Myanmar have dropped off this year, South East Asia is still a top destination for Kiwi travellers.

Thailand, Indonesia, Vietnam and the Philippines are the most popular spots, with their beaches the biggest draw card.

“Thailand is still number one, mainly appealing to couples or families with teenagers, often travelling to Phuket,” says Thomas. “Vietnam has significantly grown over the last few years, becoming more of a mainstream destination.

Once upon a time it was seen as off the beaten track but now it seems to be on everyone’s bucket lists.”

Thomas says the key appeals are its history and beaches.

“Vietnam offers stunning beaches and magnificent history,” he says. “You certainly get the best of both worlds from that kind of holiday. The cuisine is exceptional and it’s a great value for money destination so people enjoy it from that point of view as well.”

The emerging destination of 2013 for HOT customers is the Philippines.

Thomas believes this is due to the Kiwi desire to search for something a bit different.

“Places like Boracay have great

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Tahiti

Papeete market

Tahiti for a song

June 2013

Contrary to popular belief, it is possible to do Tahiti on a budget. Traveltrade talks to Tahiti Tourisme about expounding the myths and how its newest target market, families, are making the most of the islands’ offerings.

Last year, Kiwi arrivals into Tahiti were up 27.3 per cent compared with the previous year, according to Tahiti Tourisme.

Tahiti Tourisme New Zealand director Raumati Barbara says Kiwis are taking advantage of the huge range of deals on offer, which make it more affordable for New Zealanders to travel to the idyllic destination.

“There is a series of 11 campaigns rolling out this year, many of which have already gone into market,” says Barbara.

“Most have revolved around imagery with a practical element and showcase the fact that Kiwis can afford an overwater bungalow in Bora Bora, and the destination itself is not as unaffordable as they might think.”

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She adds many specials now include meals and, with a wider range of accommodation available, clients have more choice.

“You don’t have to travel five-star – there are international chains but there is also bed and breakfast-style accommodation where you can stay with a local family and discover more of the cultural side. You can even rent houses. There’s much more diversity in the standard of accommodation in Tahiti these days.”

In terms of dining, looking beyond the resorts not only helps the pocket but is also great for a cultural adventure.

“If you dine in five-star resorts, you pay five-star prices,” says Barbara. “If you get out of the resorts, you can find

great meals for around NZ$20. When you eat as the locals would or go to a local café you’re eating beautiful French food but you’re paying the equivalent that you would pay in New Zealand.”

Getting out and about Over 2012, Bora Bora reported an increase in Kiwi arrivals. Barbara says we’re becoming more adventurous, getting off the main island of Tahiti to explore the outer islands.

“Last year, with the increase in Kiwis travelling to Bora Bora, it was really exciting to see they’re travelling further afield,” she says. “Moorea this year is starting to come back again, too. Tahiti is the kind of destination

Bora Bora

Selling Tahiti Tahiti Tourisme’s trade roadshow is coming up on August 19, which brings Tahiti’s main suppliers to New Zealand.

“One of our key focuses has been trade education this year,” says Barbara.

“If you look at Bora Bora for example, there are a lot of five-star resorts and they all have over-water bungalows.

All are amazing and gorgeous but how can you tell the difference between them? That’s just one of the things we’re focusing on with the roadshow – really hammering into those key selling points.”

The Tiare agent training programme has been reinvigorated this year. There are three elements to the programme, designed to give agents an in-depth understanding of the destination to better sell it to clients.

“A Tahiti booking is a good booking – it’s a good commission earner for agents but it can be a little more complicated to sell,” says Barbara.

Agents only need to make one booking and they qualify for a famil. Once the agent returns they will receive referrals from the website, tahitinow.co.nz. If they make another 10 bookings, they qualify

for a more luxurious famil to Bora Bora.

“As their bookings increase, they get to go further out to some of our outer islands,” says Barbara.

Winter island hop

Kiwi travel operators enjoy the view at St Regis Bora Bora Resort during TravelMart 2013

From Bora Bora’s blue lagoon to Tikehau’s pink sands, a group of New Zealand tour operators spent the first few days of winter island-hopping

June 2013

where you can visit one island on your first trip and have a completely different experience on your next visit to a different island.”

One of the destination’s newest target markets is also making their way out to Bora Bora. Family travel is booming this year thanks to the promotion of family activities and kids’ clubs.

“Not only is Tahiti amazing for couples and romance, it’s more than that,” says Barbara. “We’re starting to get quite a lot of family travel, particularly out at Bora Bora. The Four Seasons has an amazing Kids Club, and for families with teenagers there’s a lot to offer like swimming with dolphins, sharks and manta rays. Adventure is another focus – there is so much to do within the destination.”

There’s plenty of adventures to be found on the main island too, says Barbara.

“There’s a lot to discover just on Tahiti alone,” she says. “There’s the markets, of course, but there’s also some great tours like the lava tubes where you can explore the lava formations and tunnels caused by the volcano eruption, and there are also trekking tours to the waterfalls.”

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Tahiti

Moorea

in the South Pacific as part of Tahiti Tourisme’s annual Tahiti TravelMart trip with the support of Air Tahiti Nui. Before jetting off to sample Tahiti’s most commonly sold islands, participants spent a day meeting with inbound operators, hoteliers, airlines, cruise and charter operators and the tourism board to work through contracts, specials, updates and general business.

The group then spent several days exploring Tahiti’s Society Islands – Bora Bora, Moorea and Tahiti – and visited Tikehau in the Tuamotu, staying at the St Regis Bora Bora Resort, Hilton Bora Bora Nui Resort and Spa, Tikehau Pearl Beach Resort, Le Meridien Tahiti and Radisson Plaza Resort Tahiti.

Attendees included Air New Zealand Holidays, Infinity Holidays, Our Pacific, Go Holidays, Mondo Travel and Lifestyle Holidays.

prices that food and beverage is similar to the equivalent standard in New Zealand.

“Overall, Tahiti was not as expensive as I thought,” says HOT Merivale agent Janine McKay. HOT enjoyed the hospitality of Air Tahiti Nui, Aggie Grey’s Le Meridien

Resort, Moorea Pearl Resort and Spa, Hilton Moorea Lagoon Resort and Spa, Moorea Dolphin Centre, Moorea Paddle Board Adventures, Sofitel Moorea Ia Ora Beach Resort, Radisson Plaza Resort Tahiti, Tahiti Nui Hotel, Manava Suite Resort, Tahiti Tours and Tahiti Tourisme.

June 2013

Agents enjoy HOT Tahiti famil Ten retail and one wholesale agent from House of Travel (HOT) stores around the country recently experienced the islands of Tahiti and Moorea, courtesy of Tahiti Tourisme. The group were all first-time travellers to Tahiti and enjoyed a mixture of site inspections combined with a taste of dining experiences and day tours.

The group noticed when comparing

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At Moorea Dolphin Centre: front row - Janine McKay, HOT Merivale; Kylie Masters, HOT Remuera. Second Row - Bianca Ratima, HOT Ponsonby; Linda Nettar, HOT Parnell; Aimee Mangin, HOT Ashburton; Donna Harrison, HOT; Jenny Nilsson and Trudi Vowles, HOT Morrinsville. Back Row - Carmel Tocker, HOT Richmond; and Sarah Gaffney, HOT Newmarket

Discover paradise the Aranui way

The Marquesas have entranced western explorers, artists, travellers and dreamers for almost 400 years, while the native Polynesians have made it their home for around 2000 years. The staggering scenery, fashioned from the Earth’s own fiery ingredients and thrust into the middle of the Pacific Ocean will enthral and mesmerise you. However, the ancient customs, energetic and enthusiastic dancing, and magnificent arts and crafts may distract clients occasionally as they travel among these remote islands aboard Aranui 3, a comfortable vessel on which to ply the combined passenger and freight route among the six inhabited islands.

Just 200 passengers travel aboard Aranui 3, allowing it to offer an intimate and personalised experience. Clients will enjoy fresh local produce, fish and seafood as part of their daily dining experience on board, along with a complimentary bottle of wine.

After the meal, there’s entertainment in the bar for an evening of impromptu singing and dancing. If clients prefer a quieter time, there’s also the library, video room and saloon.

There are lectures and seminars scheduled almost every day with experts in their respective fields to help clients fully enjoy their Polynesian experience.

Photo Credits || Aranui

A standard cabin on Aranui 3

June 2013

Aranui 3

Right now, Aranui 3 is offering a 10 per cent discount for standard cabins, available on: Voyage One, departing January 11, 2014; Voyage 2, departing February 1, 2014; Voyage 8, departing June 8, 2014; and Voyage 12, departing August 30, 2014 (senior special). ➦ aranuicruises.com.au

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calendar

2013 events calendar Tahiti is host to a number of sports, cultural and arts events this year. Here is a selection to make your clients aware of:

WORLD KNEEBOARDING CHAMPIONSHIP The World Kneeboarding Championship is organised by the Tahitian Federation of Surfing, under the aegis of the International Surfing Association (ISA). It takes place in the municipality of Papara during one week in July.

Raiatea

BILLABONG TAHITI PRO SURFING TOURNAMENT OPENING OF THE 131ST HEIVA I TAHITI

August 15 to 26

July 4 to July 20

International competition amongst the world’s best surfers on Teaupoo’s waves on Tahiti’s peninsula.

The largest contest and annual meeting of traditional Polynesian singing and dancing.

Located at To’ata Square in downtown Papeete.

TAHITI INVAD NO GI TOURNAMENT August 24

FESTIVITIES OF THE HEIVA

Invad no gi is a form of Brazilian jiu-jitsu. This event will see six world champions go head to head against Tahiti’s local champions. About 100 competitors (30 in the category of 15-17 years and 70 in the category 18 years and over) will participate.

The event will take place at Fautaua Hall.

July 10 to 17 The craftswomen of Te Vahine Ahu Maru showcase their creations for the festivities of the Heiva on the quay of Ahe. Sea shell necklaces, rings, bracelets, hats and baskets will be on display.

HEIVA TU’ARO MA’OHI July 20 This contest is part of the cultural heritage of the country. The Tu’aro Ma’ohi traditional sports competition allows athletes from French Polynesia’s five archipelagos, and sometimes from the entire Pacific region, to demonstrate their athletic skills, which include javelin throwing, coconut husking, stone lifting and palm tree climbing.

BEACH SOCCER WORLD CUP September 18 to 28 The To'ata site will welcome more than thirty teams from around the world. The event will be broadcast across the globe and many festivities will take place during this period. Organised by the Government and the Municipality of Papeete.

PHOTOGRAPHY EXHIBITION October 4 to 19 The Tahiti Association of Photographers will exhibit works for lovers of visual art.

To be held at the Te Fare Manaha Museum of Tahiti and Her Islands.

FOURTH TRANS TAHITIAN October 27 and 28 This competition focuses on sports and the environment. The running race takes place over two days in the heart of Tahiti and goes over the valley of Mataiea, Lake Vahiria, Maroto and the valley of Papenoo.

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URBAN PARK FESTIVAL November 10 to 12 Urban Park is the only international festival in French Polynesia that focuses on extreme sports. It will take place in the skateboard park in Auae, Faa’a.

For the first time, skateboarders, rollerbladers, BMXers and kickboarders will compete on the streets of Papeete.

TAHITI NUI MARATHON November 16 This is an international semi-marathon of 21.1km from Tiarei to Papeete (garden of Paofai).

The days preceding the race will be dedicated to smaller races for young people.

INTERNATIONAL HEIVA November 18 to 23 Cultural event with traditional dancing groups coming from four corners of the world to demonstrate their passion for the òri Tahiti.

Re-treat yourself

Girls’ getaways

As girls’ getaways become more and more popular, Traveltrade takes a look at some of Australia’s best health retreats for the ladies.

For clients after a hen’s weekend idea or some inspiration for a fun get-together with friends, suggest a trip across the ditch to one of these top retreats.

Gaia Retreat and Spa

Owned by Olivia Newton John, Gaia Retreat and Spa in Byron Bay Hinterland is a calming and spiritual place. Clients can stay for two nights and enjoy all the activities and facilities including sauna, pool, gym, tennis court, yoga, and the room rate includes a A$250 voucher for the spa so they can pick and choose which treatments they would like.

Peppers Mineral Springs Retreat

Peppers Mineral Springs Retreat

This retreat offers a mineral spa with 180-jet hydrotherapy spa baths, soft pak float beds (in which clients float on a hammock of warm water without getting wet), 11 treatment rooms, and an etreat water therapy zone (an indoor/outdoor area overlooking the property).

Peppers Mineral Springs Retreat is set in Daylesford and the Macedon Ranges, which offers a range of experiences from farmers markets, boutiques and cafés, to golf, bushwalks and horse riding.

Harmony Hill Wellness Retreat and Day Spa Clients heading to Tasmania will find Harmony Hill Wellness Retreat about half an hour from Hobart. Here they can relax, detox or lose weight on the retreat’s special programmes. Packages include tai chi/yoga classes, use of the facilities and some massages.

Empire Spa Retreat The Golden Door Health Retreat

June 2013

The Golden Door Health Retreat Gold Coast, located in Willow Vale, offers a total health overhaul, conference activities, weekend packages of indulgent treatments, and golf. The retreat has 48 rooms and a swimming pool.

For those looking for an adrenaline rush, the retreat is only a 20-minute drive from WhiteWater World, Dreamworld and Batwing Spaceshot.

Over in Western Australia, deep in the Margaret River wine region, Empire Spa Retreat offers bathing suites with large stone baths, steam rooms, and rainforest shower suites. Using natural products, the spa menu incorporates traditional spa therapies along with specialised Empire rituals designed to appeal to those wanting something out of the ordinary.

Facilities at the retreat include a library and a garden. The retreat’s onsite restaurant is open for breakfast.

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girls’ getaways

Dracula’s

sin-tastic

experience Dracula’s is tearing away the family friendly bubble-wrap to offer a new adult cabaret show on the Gold Coast.

June 2013

The new show Sin and Tonic shakes off the shackles of political correctness, offering up a sizzling night of Draculas vampire-themed burlesque, aerial circus and comic insanity.

Dracula’s new evening format is similar to that of post-war Berlin theatre. The entertainment is sliced up into smaller clusters of variety acts and is broken up with live jazz and a DJ that literally flies around the theatre.

Comedy duo Rudi Testa and Richard Macionis make a return to the stage, along with aerial contortionist Megan Barry-Cotter, who performs to the riffs of Japanese guitarist Dave ‘Kamikaze’ Kume. Feature percussionist Shea Smith adds the beats and cabaret performers Christine Ibrahim and Danielle Casson belt out the tunes and dance moves.

Sin and Tonic is an 18-plus adult dinner cabaret and is not suitable for children.

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human resources

When good employees go bad ■

Diane Hallifax Human Resource Specialist Everest Group Limited

What happens when one of your stars begins to under-perform? What do you do?

Have you ever considered it could be a bit of the old “chicken and the egg” conundrum – what comes first: bad management or bad employee behaviour?

For employees, under-performing behaviour can manifest in lots of different ways – increased absenteeism, just doing enough to get by, low energy levels, decreased interaction with co-workers, reduced contribution to projects, negativity slipping into conversations – and the list goes on!

For employers, a visible lack of “good management” can have a significant impact on the workplace.

Research shows us that money isn’t the primary motivator for leaving a job. In fact, it’s about number 10 on the list. The biggest single reason good employees leave is because of the behaviour of their direct supervisor. So what contributes to ineffective management?

• Lack of direct communication and information • Lack of clarity and the provision of standards/ expectations • Lack of positive reinforcement or acknowledgement of successes • Lack of face-to-face communication If a good employee starts to perform poorly we need to examine why. Typically stars don’t get up one morning and make a decision to under-perform. Consider the following when diagnosing what might be affecting your star employee: • Does the employee have the capability to do the task – if they did it before, then they can do it again.

• Has the employee been trained on the correct way of doing the job – how long ago was the training?

• Does the employee use the skill often enough to remember how to do the job next time?

• Does the employee know he/she is doing it correctly/incorrectly?

• Are you punishing exceptional performance? By this I mean – do you swamp your star with lots of extra projects because they are always capable of taking on more?

• Are you rewarding poor performance? Has your superstar been switched off because they regularly stand by and watch you rescue poor performing employees by handing their work over to good employees – rather than dealing with the problem employee?

Take your business planning to a higher level ■

Paul Davies pauldavies@travelaccounting.co.nz ➦ www.travelaccounting.co.nz

1. Analyse your finances • Do a full financial analysis to establish your current situation • Benchmark your business compared with the top achievers • Identify your strengths, weaknesses and opportunities • Monitor progress with ongoing analysis and financial planning 2. Your vision • Clearly define business objectives and long-term goals • Create a vision statement for your business, based on what your business is about and how it will achieve its objectives • Create your vision statement with your team and your customers, ensuring they fully understand and buy into it • Incorporate your vision statement into all internal and external communications 3. Your advantage • Define what it is that your business does differently from all your competitors • What makes it unique? Is there a demand for this?

• Ask your customers – customer survey • Identify who/what/where your target market is • Incorporate your Unique Selling Proposition (USP) into all internal and external communications 4. Your image • Does your image reflect your business objectives?

• How does your target market perceive your business?

• Create the image you want your customers to consistently see and experience when they visit your office or website, or read your advertising, your brochure, your stationery, etc.

5. Your team • Implement a fully inclusive pricing policy – your price • Create systems and procedures for every role, with checklists • Implement performance targets, regular appraisals and incentive programmes - increase productivity through accountability • Establish a regime of weekly sales meetings, incorporating product knowledge updates and performance reviews • Full compliance in terms of employment agreements • Complete training on USP, service standards, pricing policy, and all procedures 6. Your communication • Implement a consultant driven sales and marketing system • Develop a sales brochure for your business, consistent with your image, to help build credibility and promote your USP • Consistent advertising must always feature product, and your USP

June 2013

There are always genuine reasons why performance slips away – our role as business owners and managers is to find out why.

dollars and sense

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party pix

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New Caledonia hits the road

New Caledonia showed off the best of its offering to agents around the country recently. Here’s a few pics from the Auckland event at the Floating Pavilion in the Viaduct.

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Angela Hallet from Aircalin updates agents on the airlines’ offerings

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New Caledonia Tourism director JeanMichel Foutrein (l) and New Zealand manager Simon Duffy (r)

A Kiwis inWAW of Western Australia with host Louise Frend from holiday specialist agents recently explored a slice A group of Kiwi alia’s south-west and alian Pinnacle Tours, the group explored Austr Tourism Western Australia. Travelling with Austr to Lancelin, and the north in Perth and Fremantle, and a day heading Margaret River over two days, then spent a day Pinnacles at Cervantes.

NZ Holidays; Clare Radbourne HOT; Janine Keys, HOT; Raina Plantier, Air Pictured (l-r): Jody Krivan, HOT; Jonathon Gwin, Flight Centre; and Holly Snell, HOT. Clarke Beatson and Katrina Humphrey from

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June 2013

Canyons, cowboys, llamas and Rockies

Contiki, Insight Vacations and Trafalgar travelled around New Zealand with their ‘Canyons, Cowboys, Llamas and Rockies’ roadshow recently to launch their 2013/14 Americas travel programmes to agents. The roadshow took in Christchurch, Wellington, Palmerston North, New Plymouth, Hamilton, Rotorua and Tauranga.

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Holland,

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Jamie and Lynley of Flight Centre Bayfair, Tauranga Some of the sales team in Hamilton (l to r): Marija Tolj, Trafalgar; Merran Kenworthy, Insight Vacations; and Sam Morrah, Contiki Holidays

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Discover Paradise Discover Paradise Discover Paradise

Cruise in the comfort ofofthe Tahitianpassenger-freighter, passenger-freighter, Aranui 3 Cruise in the comfort theunique unique Tahitian Aranui 3

Cruise in the comfort of the unique Tahitian passenger-freighter, Aranui 3

When you step onboard the Aranui 3 have embarked on a3very Whenyou youknow stepyou onboard the Aranui different cruise holiday.

you know you have embarked on a very This unique 2003 built passenger-freighter caters for 200 passengers different cruise holiday. and comes complete with a lounge, bars, conference room, When you onboard the Aranui 3 swimming pool, step a boutique, accommodation which ranges from

This unique 2003 built passenger-freighter caters for 200 passengers spacious suites you with ahave balconyembarked to deluxe and standard cabins, you know on a room, very and comes a lounge, bars, conference eachcomplete with oceanwith views. different cruise accommodation holiday. swimming pool, a boutique, which ranges from Experience a 14 day adventure discovering the most remote spaciousThis suites with a balcony to deluxe and standard cabins, unique 2003 built passenger-freighter caters for 200 passengers islands of the Marquesas Archipelagos located 1,500 kms each with ocean views. and comes complete with a lounge, bars, conference room, North-East of Tahiti. You will take part in delivering essential goods swimming pool, a boutique, accommodation which ranges from as well as day cars and buildingdiscovering materials to 16 local villages.

Experience a 14 remote spacious suitesadventure with a balcony to deluxethe andmost standard cabins, islands of the Marquesas Archipelagos located 1,500 kms each with ocean In addition to this views. vital role, Aranui Cruises offers a soft adventure

North-East of Tahiti. will take part in element, delivering essential goods holiday with a You real cultural discovery allowing passengers Experience abuilding 14 day adventure discovering thevillages. most remote as well as cars and materials toremarkable 16 local to absorb some of the world’s most scenery on ancient islands of the Marquesas Archipelagos located 1,500 kms volcanic islands fringed with black sandy beaches.

North-East of Tahiti. will take part inoffers delivering essential goods In addition to this vital role,You Aranui Cruises a soft adventure as well as cars and building materials to 16 local villages.

Excursions and activities include: • Discover 8 islands with 16 ports of call

Excursions and activities include:

• Visiting local Marquesan villages and handicraft centres

• Discover 8 islands with 16 ports of call

• Archaeological and cultural sites, tikis, churches, all with • on Visiting local Marquesan villages and handicraft centres site lecturers and activities include: •Excursions Enjoying traditional dance shows,sites, 4WD,tikis, hikingchurches, and • Archaeological and cultural all with tours with 16 ports of call • sightseeing Discover 8 islands on site lecturers

•• Restaurants, picnics and BBQs onand white sandy beaches local Marquesan villages handicraft centres • Visiting Enjoying traditional dance shows, 4WD, hiking and •• Visiting Paul Gauguin and Jacques Brel Museum Archaeological and cultural sites, tikis, churches, all with sightseeing tours (entrance fee not included) on site lecturers

• Restaurants, picnics and BBQs on white sandy beaches

•• Local multi-lingual tourdance guides (English, French andand German) Enjoying traditional shows, 4WD, hiking • sightseeing Visiting Paul Gauguin and Jacques Brel Museum tours • Fantastic 14-day cruise, which includes 3 meals/day

(entrance fee not included)

Restaurants, picnics BBQs and on white beaches *•A doctor is also available duringand all excursions onboardsandy travel Optional activities not included are horseback riding, trawling, deep sea fishing and Local multi-lingual tour guides (English, French and German) ••scuba Visiting Paul Gauguin and Jacques Brel Museum diving. not included) • (entrance Fantasticfee 14-day cruise, which includes 3 meals/day

•* ALocal tour guides (English, and French and travel German) doctormulti-lingual is also available during all excursions onboard Optional

holiday with a real cultural discovery element, allowing passengers activities not included horseback riding, trawling, deep sea fishing and Fantastic 14-day are cruise, which includes 3 meals/day to absorb oftothe most remarkable scenery ancient • scuba In some addition thisworld’s vital role, Aranui Cruises offers a soft on adventure Bookings: reservations@aranui.com | e: Laurent@aranuicruises.com.au | diving. p: (+61) 3 9449 3778 | www.aranuicruises.com.au * A doctor is also available during all excursions and onboard travel Optional a realwith cultural discovery allowing passengers volcanic holiday islandswith fringed black sandyelement, beaches. activities not included are horseback riding, trawling, deep sea fishing and to absorb some of the world’s most remarkable scenery on ancient volcanic islands fringed with black sandy beaches.

scuba diving.

Bookings: reservations@aranui.com | e: Laurent@aranuicruises.com.au | p: (+61) 3 9449 3778 | www.aranuicruises.com.au Bookings: reservations@aranui.com | e: Laurent@aranuicruises.com.au | p: (+61) 3 9449 3778 | www.aranuicruises.com.au