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The Business of Tourism
 
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Wednesday 06 March 2024
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Backpackers

Strategies for success: NZ backpacker industry converges on Te Pae 28th August 2023 /

Strategies for success: NZ backpacker industry converges on Te Pae

New Zealand’s backpacker industry is making a steady recovery from the pandemic with some operators managing to hit pre-Covid levels but significant challenges remain.


Ski fields, hostel partner for staff accommodation 25th May 2022 /

Ski fields, hostel partner for staff accommodation

Cardrona and Treble Cone have teamed up with Wānaka Backpackers Bothy to provide mountain staff accommodation for the 2022 winter ski season.


Bumpy road ahead as hostels welcome return of WHVs 15th March 2022 /

Bumpy road ahead as hostels welcome return of WHVs

Despite the WHV scheme being back on the table, it will still be a rough year ahead for the hostel and youth sector, warns NZHA chair Brett Duncan.


Residents evacuated in backpackers blaze 20th July 2021 /

Residents evacuated in backpackers blaze

West Coast hostel Bazil’s Backpackers and Surf School suffers major damage after a fire broke out overnight.


Hostel operator goes into liquidation 24th February 2021 /

Hostel operator goes into liquidation

Blenheim-based Diamond Hostel Limited has gone into liquidation.


In-depth: Backpackers “dying” as closures wrack sector 5th February 2021 /

In-depth: Backpackers “dying” as closures wrack sector

Hostels are shutting their doors or being put up for sale as the market struggles without international visitors.


Summer goal: Break even in hostels – Haka Tourism 9th November 2020 /

Summer goal: Break even in hostels – Haka Tourism

One of the hardest-hit parts of tourism is holding on for a quick rebound when international travel resumes.


BYATA, TNZ sign memorandum of understanding 4th November 2020 /

BYATA, TNZ sign memorandum of understanding

Under the memorandum, both organisations committed to jointly grow the value of international youth arrivals to New Zealand.


Backpackers secures funding from council for ‘escape room’ 5th June 2020 /

Backpackers secures funding from council for ‘escape room’

Napier backpackers Archie’s Bunker has secured funding from the Napier City Council to turn part of its building into an ‘escape room’ in a bid to attract visitors.


YHA to scale down for domestic market 21st May 2020

YHA to scale down for domestic market

YHA New Zealand is committing to retain its national network of hostels despite suffering significant financial pain following border closures and Covid-19 lockdown, says chief executive Mark Wells.


England-Hall on backpackers and NZ’s visitor portfolio 16th April 2020 /

England-Hall on backpackers and NZ’s visitor portfolio

New Zealand needs to build up a good mix of visitors in the recovery so the sector is less dependent on any single segment, says Tourism New Zealand chief executive Stephen England-Hall.


Haka Tourism Group adds Ponsonby Lodge to portfolio 12th November 2019

Haka Tourism Group adds Ponsonby Lodge to portfolio

Ryan Sanders’ Haka Tourism Group has added an eighth property to its accommodation portfolio with the opening of Haka Lodge Ponsonby.


Summer accommodation available at YHA Opoutere 17th October 2019 /

Summer accommodation available at YHA Opoutere

Summer accommodation will be made available at the former YHA Opoutere, which has been handed over to the Wharekawa Adventure Education Trust by YHA New Zealand.


How Australia is combating the tourism slowdown 19th August 2019 /

How Australia is combating the tourism slowdown

The country is seeing a similar slowdown as NZ but is taking a different approach, particularly with the youth market.


Haka Tourism looks to fill coffers with K’Rd lodge flip 11th June 2019

Haka Tourism looks to fill coffers with K’Rd lodge flip

The operator is aiming to have a nationwide network of 10 hotels and 10 lodges by 2025.


Lake Tekapo’s new $9m YHA shepherds visitors 15th May 2019 /

Lake Tekapo’s new $9m YHA shepherds visitors

Lake Tekapo’s new $9m YHA has reported 85% occupancy in its first two weeks of trade.


BYATA looks to the future 29th April 2019

BYATA looks to the future

The evolution of the backpacker market and where it might go next is the backbone for discussion at this year’s annual Backpacker Youth & Adventure Tourism Association conference.


Sanders wins one from Haka-heavy property portfolio sale 28th February 2019 /

Sanders wins one from Haka-heavy property portfolio sale

Haka Tourism Group has succeeded in its multi-million dollar bid to take ownership of its Auckland lodge.


Angus’ getsmart wins global Hostelling International contract 27th November 2018 /

Angus’ getsmart wins global Hostelling International contract

Cristine Angus’s software development company, getsmart, has signed a global partnership agreement to provide tailored customer insight solutions for the International Youth Hostels Federation.


BYATA 2018: TNZ pulls back from transient backpacker market 16th August 2018 /

BYATA 2018: TNZ pulls back from transient backpacker market

TNZ has refocused its backpacker strategy on the direct UK and German markets.


BYATA 2018: Industry in “huge state of flux” – Sanders 15th August 2018 /

BYATA 2018: Industry in “huge state of flux” – Sanders

The backpacker and wider tourism industry is in “a huge state of flux” and it was vital operators tackled complex issues together, an industry audience heard this morning.


Social media campaign breaks backpacker barriers 2nd October 2017

Social media campaign breaks backpacker barriers

Today’s backpackers are a discerning bunch on the lookout for authentic, inspirational experiences.


“David and Goliath” battle to save Coromandel icon 27th September 2017

“David and Goliath” battle to save Coromandel icon

Campaigners are desperately trying to rally support to prevent the closure of the iconic Opoutere Youth Hostel near Whangamata.


365 activities, 365 days: The takeaways from a year’s worth of NZ experiences 5th September 2017

365 activities, 365 days: The takeaways from a year’s worth of NZ experiences

Robin Gayraud and Laura Symonds, publishers of the BackpackerGuide.NZ, travelled New Zealand in a campervan to take on 365 activities in 365 days.


BYATA Learns how to ‘Future Proof’ in Wellington 31st August 2017

BYATA Learns how to ‘Future Proof’ in Wellington

Future proofing New Zealand as a tourism destination was the focus of the eighth annual Backpacker Youth & Adventure Tourism Association (BYATA) Conference held in Wellington at Te Papa recently.


Hostel group establishes niche in backpacker industry 27th July 2017

Hostel group establishes niche in backpacker industry

With over 150 hostels throughout the country and backpackers currently making up 11% of all holiday visitors into NZ and growing – the hostel market is going from strength to strength.