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August 03, 2022
Room service gap as hotels face border rush
Tuwhenuaroa Natanahira
Posted On August 3, 2022
Download AudioWe’re open for business – but don’t expect room service.
That’s the message manuhiri is getting as hotels gear up for an influx of tourists now the borders are fully open.
Māori Tourism chair Dale Stephens says they’re dealing with hefty staff shortages.
“I was in a hotel in Auckland a couple of days ago and they told me ‘there’s no room service tonight and if you want an extra pillow you’ve got to come down and get it because we just don’t have the staff. Yes we’re open which is great, we can start marketing to the world that we’re back but a lot of what we’re offering isn’t the complete open scenario New Zealand is known for,” he says.
Mr Stephens says it’s important that Māori tourism operators get the right staff back on board so they can offer a truly indigenous experience.
New Zealand’s border fully reopened this week, including our maritime border, to international visitors including tourists, students and cruise ships.
Dale Stephens says South Island operators have seen a boon from Australians looking to catch a line on the snow fields.
However, he says critical staff shortages and Aotearoa’s orange traffic light setting could hamper holiday-makers returning in full.
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