Tourism students given financial boost

Three school-leavers planning a career in tourism are to each receive a $2500 financial boost as recipients of the 2018 Tourism Industry New Zealand Trust (TINZT) Academic Scholarships.

Announced at the Tourism Summit Aotearoa in Wellington, the trio are Emily Christie of Fiordland College, Te Anau; Holly Greene of Palmerston North Girls High School and Reuben Keyes of Rangiora High School.

The scholarships are open to young New Zealanders who have completed NCEA Level 2 and are due to start tourism related tertiary study.

Greene and Keyes were present at the Summit to receive their scholarships from TINZT Chair Grant Webster.

Webster explained that ensuring tourism businesses attract and retain staff with the right skills and attitude is a top priority for New Zealand’s $34.7 billion tourism industry, stating “given the record results the industry is achieving and the strong projected growth, it’s vital we are attracting enough people with the right skills to work in tourism. These academic scholarships are an important way we can encourage savvy young Kiwis to pursue a career in tourism.”

Webster says the 2017 scholarships attracted more than 40 applications from students around the country. Shortlisted candidates were interviewed by a Scholarship Panel and three winners selected.

He added "it was very competitive, but our three winners stood out as having the academic and personal qualities our industry is seeking.

They are all extremely able and ambitious individuals who will be a great asset to the tourism workforce when they graduate from their chosen tertiary study programme.”

About the winners

Emily Christie

Emily has been inspired to pursue a career in tourism after living and travelling around New Zealand in the family house bus where she developed a love of adventure, travel, discovering new places and meeting new people. She is heading to Queenstown Resort College next year to complete an 18 month Diploma in Adventure Tourism Management.

Holly Greene

Holly is a talented all-rounder who has been active in Young Women in Leadership and World Vision initiatives at Palmerston North Girls High School. She is heading to Queenstown Resort College next year. She says one of her ambitions in life is to jump out of bed each morning pumped for a job she loves – and the way she plans to achieve that is through a career in adventure tourism, guiding, driving a jet boat or helping visitors plunge off a bungy platform. 

Reuben Keyes

Reuben is a top tourism student at Rangiora High School and is excited about a career in the industry. He has been accepted into the New Zealand School of Tourism in Christchurch, focusing on tourism and airline operations, and hotel and hospitality management. At this stage he is looking towards a career in the hotel sector. 

The Tourism Industry New Zealand Trust was established in 2007 for charitable purposes. Its focus is the education of people involved in the New Zealand tourism industry and the education of New Zealanders about tourism; and the fostering and promotion of a tourism industry in New Zealand, based on the sustainable use and preservation of the country’s natural assets.

The TINZT grants programme is open to associations, companies and individuals for projects or ideas that will further the Trust’s aims and criteria. Applications can be made at any time. 

The Trust is managed by Tourism Industry Aotearoa (TIA).

For details go to www.tinzt.org.nz. 

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