THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW
Oakwood Premier Melbourne lobby
06
Oakwood Premier Melbourne to debut in October The luxury apartment brand is running ahead of schedule
Back to square one
By Michael Johnson CEO, Tourism Accommodation Australia OUR INDUSTRY WAS taken to the brink in 2020. It was the worst year for accommodation hotels in living memory and as the year came to end, we hoped 2021 would be something different. But it is now abundantly clear, this year is just more of the same. As I write, the situation for accommodation hotels in our major cities, Sydney and Melbourne, is as bad as it has ever been. The rapidly spreading Delta variant has sapped the confidence of the domestic travelling public. Greater Sydney and other parts of NSW are in an extended, open-ended lockdown and the rest of the state is starved of visitors from its biggest city. Restrictions have been re-introduced in QLD, SA and Victoria once again and interstate borders have slammed shut. The strain on our members and their staff has been unrelenting. And with no end in sight, it was pleasing to see the Federal and NSW Government team up to provide support packages for both business and individuals. Not only will it help thousands of our staff in greater Sydney who are stood down, it is also available to those in the regions who have had reduced hours. These disaster payments allow our staff to get through this period without having to leave our industry altogether. When we are able to trade, we will need these people more than ever. More importantly, this state and federal package will now be the model for all states and territories to use in the event of an extended lockdown. I hope for all our sakes that this is the last lockdown we have, but if 2021 has taught us anything, it’s that we do not always get what we want. And it is reassuring to have a swift and uniform approach to support in place if it is needed.
12 HM The Business of Accommodation
LUXURY SERVICED APARTMENT brand Oakwood has earmarked October 2021 for the Australian debut of its Oakwood Premier brand, which will be housed in a 40-storey mixed-use development on the banks of the Yarra River in Melbourne. Unlike several developments which have been pushed back as a result of the pandemic, Oakwood Premier Melbourne is running ahead of its originally scheduled 2022 opening. The brand’s debut will be the 10th property in the Oakwood Premier stable and will feature 392 rooms
and apartments. Of this, 132 have been designed as studios for short-stay guests with the remainder outlined as one and two-bedroom apartments for those looking for mid-term and extended stays. Within the property, guests and visitors will be able to access a rooftop sky bar, which is due to open before the end of the year. Hotel facilities will also include an all-day restaurant, lobby bar, fitness centre, lounge and games centre, meeting, conference and function rooms, co-working spaces and two outdoor green zones on Levels 5 and 6.
07
NZ Cabinet considering 200% jump in border fees Tourism Industry Aotearoa aghast at proposed hike
TOURISM INDUSTRY AOTEAROA (TIA) has expressed dismay at seemingly clandestine efforts by the New Zealand Government to endorse and push through a significant hike in the country’s border and customs costs to a staggering NZD$116.25 per person, inclusive of 15% GST. According to documents received under the Official Information Act, the revised figure is based on a proposal by the New Zealand Customs Service and the Ministry for Primary Industries to not just recoup operational costs of the country’s borders, biosecurity and customs services but also to claw back accumulated losses which have built up since the levy was introduced in 2016. If officially implemented, the new charges would take effect from December 2021 and would pay back all accrued losses over a three-year period. Broken down and inclusive of New Zealand’s 15% GST, the new charges would consist of a NZD$40.25 International Visitor Levy, an NZD$63 Border Clearance Levy for air travellers ($35.36 for cruise passengers), NZD$14.48 International Passenger Security Levy and an NZD$1.73 Safety Oversight Levy.
It is understood the New Zealand Cabinet has already agreed in principle to the NZD$63 Border Clearance Levy with consultation continuing. In a submission to the NZ Government, TIA has suggested maintaining current levels and reviewing in July 2023 to ensure minimal volatility in projected visitor arrival numbers, with future levy proposals based on actual and more reliable data gained over 2021 and 2022. The government would continue to fund deficits incurred. Australia currently charges a $60 levy to all inbound and outbound travellers which is labelled the Passenger Movement Charge. This fee also increased in recent years from its original $55 but is currently frozen against inflation-driven increases. Fares to visit New Zealand would rise under the new fee structure
