New TIANZ board focused on long-term growth and success

With New Zealand's tourism industry anticipating a record summer season, the Tourism Industry Association New Zealand’s board of directors is focusing on ensuring the industry’s long-term success.

The new Tourism Industry Association New Zealand (TIANZ) board held its first meeting last week and renewed its commitment to the Tourism 2025 growth framework which has the goal of almost doubling total tourism revenue to $41 billion a year by 2025 (up from $24 billion now).

Board Chairman Grant Lilly (pictured) says good progress is already being made towards the 2025 goal and the growth framework will continue to guide TIANZ’s strategic thinking and priorities.

Lilly explains “this includes issues like infrastructure development, sustainability, removing barriers to travel and getting the workforce right – all priorities identified by members and included in TIANZ’s 2014 Tourism Election Manifesto.”

These issues and Tourism 2025 progress will be discussed at the 2014 TIANZ Summit in Wellington on 4th November.

Introducing the Summit, Lilly explains “we have secured an impressive line-up of speakers. This will be a great opportunity to look at what is being done across the public and private sectors to put Tourism 2025 into action.

“The Board will be heavily involved in the Summit, and we are sure TIA members and others with a stake in the tourism industry will find it well worth attending.”

Lilly, a director on the Boards of a number of businesses and organisations in the leisure industry and a former senior airline industry executive, was unanimously re-elected as Chairman at last week’s TIANZ meeting.

Positively Wellington Tourism Chief Executive David Perks was re-elected as deputy Chairman.

Four positions on the board were due for election for the 2014/15 year. Three directors were re-elected unopposed:

• Air Transport Sector – Adrian Littlewood, Chief Executive, Auckland Airport
• Land Transport Sector – Grant Webster, Chief Executive, Tourism Holdings Ltd
• General Industry Sector – Grant Lilly

Fergus Brown, Chief Executive of the Holiday Accommodation Parks Association of New Zealand, has joined the board to represent the Motels, Other Accommodation and Hospitality Sector. He replaces Matt Standing, Chief Executive of Mitchell Corp, who stood down from the board.

The Board also resolved to co-opt Richard Lauder, Chief Executive of Real Journeys, onto the board.

Lilly concluded “we are very pleased that Richard has accepted the offer and will join us from TIA's next board meeting.

“Real Journeys is a successful and important operator in the South and Richard offers the board direct representation from Queenstown. His appointment further strengthens the wide representation we have on the TIANZ board.”

For a full list of TIANZ board members go to www.tianz.org.nz/main/board

Click here for more information on the 2014 TIANZ Summit.

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