Reconnecting New Zealand’s valuable Bed and Breakfast sector with the international travel trade will be the key focus of its first annual conference in three years.
Industry operators are keen to reunite for the first time since 2020 at the Bed & Breakfast Association New Zealand conference, taking place at the Copthorne Oriental Bay, Wellington, on 19-21 June 2023.
“The 2023 conference is about getting all geared up for the return of our international visitors. We’ve continued with domestic travellers during the pandemic but our members are excited to get back into the swing of hosting our international visitors. So the theme of our conference is appropriately Back in the Swing,” BBANZ president Donna Brooke says.
The conference begins on June 19 with a Travel Trade Afternoon which will facilitate connections between B&B operators and inbound tour operators. The session is already attracting a lot of interest from agents and wholesalers in New Zealand and in Australia, Ms Brooke says.
Participants will include bed and breakfasts, homestays, farm stays, luxury accommodation, self-catering properties as well as small commercial sized bed and breakfasts.
Operators participating in the afternoon will meet BBANZ minimum quality standards and are assessed at three yearly intervals, providing assurance that they offer a first-class quality experience and are ready to work with international travel wholesalers.
“This will be an excellent opportunity for inbound tour operators to meet both established and new ‘product’, with plenty of opportunity for them to get to know the people behind the business,” Ms Brooke says.
The B&B sector is helping meet the demand from international travellers for high quality accommodation in New Zealand, especially after the loss of so much accommodation due to the impacts of the pandemic, she says.
“We provide a boutique and genuinely Kiwi experience to our visitors. Having the opportunity to meet and stay with their hosts offers an unforgettable chance to live like a local.”
For more information about the conference and registration, go to: 2023 CONFERENCE, Bed & Breakfast Association
