Tourism New Zealand General Manager of Australia, Andrew Waddel is just new to the travel industry, after 10+ years at Red Bull.
“What an industry to join – so much purpose, passion and pride throughout the industry, all working to create unforgettable experiences for travellers and holiday makers,” Andrew says of the industry.
“What I love is that travel has the unique ability to enrich people’s lives through the experiences they have. It’s exciting to make this possible for so many Australians, promoting New Zealand as their destination of choice,” Andrew added.
Travel Monitor sat down and talked all things travel in this week’s Talking Travel.
What does your job involve?
My job is to ensure New Zealand remains the number one outbound destination for Australian holiday makers. In short, we inspire and motivate Aussies to continue to travel to New Zealand and remind them why they should visit New Zealand now. In the Australian market, I’m lucky to work with a team of incredible people in PR, marketing, trade, and business events, who are extremely passionate about New Zealand and the Maori tradition of Manaakitanga – hospitality.
What do you enjoy most about your profession?
Storytelling really excites me, so I’m really looking forward to the opportunity to create the next evolution of the New Zealand story for Australians and continue the legacy that is 100% Pure New Zealand.
What are the biggest challenges for you in your profession?
In Australia, the biggest challenge is to overcome the apathy that “NZ will always be there” and help visitors understand the range of unique experiences they can have, given everything’s within easy reach. From world-class food and wine, to cycling New Zealand’s great rides and skiing in the Southern Alps – there’s so much to see and do.
What do you think are the biggest challenges the industry faces?
As an industry, our biggest challenge is to ensure the tourism sector remains sustainable. Our focus at Tourism New Zealand is on driving travel in spring and autumn – when weather patterns are stable and there’s less crowds – so the benefits of tourism are spread evenly across the year. At the same time, getting visitors to travel beyond the main cities and explore uniqueness in lesser-known regions, something Tourism New Zealand is committed to in the next few years.
What do you think will be the biggest game changer in the travel industry in the next 12 months?
Technology, in all its forms, is changing the tourism industry rapidly and will continue to do so. From the way consumers research and plan their holidays through Instagram, to the way operators can use Artificial Intelligence to personalise each consumer’s experience to the nth degree, it’s only going to keep evolving and challenging the way we work.
Who would you invite on your next holiday if you could choose anyone and where would you go?
Scuba diving one of the top dive sites in the world, Poor Knights Islands in New Zealand’s Northland region, with none other than legendary explorer, conservationist, filmmaker, innovator, scientist, photographer, author, and researcher Jacques Cousteau. Skiing in Wanaka & Queenstown with childhood idol, freestyle skier Glen Plake – with matching mohawks! And a roadtrip to Rotorua with New Zealand filmmaker Taika Waititi and comedy duo from the Flight of the concords Bret McKenzie and Jemaine Clement.
Company Website: www.newzealand.com
Contact Email: Andrew.Waddel@tnz.govt.nz
