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| E-Line Accommodation
The person trying to access the key knew the room number and the name of the person who had booked it, although that wasn’t clearly reported as part of the story. Consequently, the tenure of the story was that New Zealand hotel room security is lax. The key question is what was this story all about? Do we have a problem with hotel room security? Are people inappropriately accessing hotel rooms? Is there a major epidemic with theft from hotel rooms? The answer to all these questions is a resounding “no”. There are something like 32 million guest nights bought and paid for in New Zealand every year and virtually no examples of malicious room access or theft. Indeed the major issue hoteliers have is belongings being left behind in rooms, rather than being stolen from rooms. Yes hoteliers have a responsibility to ensure that the security of someone’s room is protected, the extent to which security measures need to be in place also need to be balanced by the risk, and the compliance and inconvenience cost to guests. As a result of this programme all hoteliers will be reviewing their security arrangements, not because they have a problem but because this programme may well have encouraged some criminal elements that herein lies an opportunity. This story is about Campbell Live making the news, rather than reporting it. They have not reported on a problem, they have potentially created one. Ratings are clearly important but those rating wars should be won on the back of good reporting of the news with real stories, rather than making news for the sake of the ratings. Most online comments posted by the public shared similar views. Click here if you wish to view footage and read posted comments. Top of Page NEW ZEALAND TOURISM PERFORMANCE 2009 In the November 2009 E-Line Accommodation issue, the Tourism Industry Monitor advised that business confidence in the tourism industry is slowly being restored and that in the last four months New Zealand has experienced positive growth of international visitor arrivals across all markets. But the main contributor to New Zealand’s international arrival growth were Australian visitors that off-set the loss of visitors from other markets with an increase of 106,000 more Australians arriving in 2009 than the previous year. Although the increased visitors from Australia indicated they were visiting friends and family, ski field operators reported more Australians during the ski season. This highlights that New Zealand tourism demand varied between operators servicing the Australian market and those servicing the long-haul market. New Zealand had a good start to 2010 in addition to the solid performance of the Australia market, there has been positive growth from the Americas – up 9.3%, Asia - up 3.8% and Europe - up 3.1% recorded in December 2009. There will be many challenges for New Zealand tourism in 2010. Even though there has been a slight drop in the business confidence index , the expectations of tourism businesses are optimistic as indicated in the business confidence index published in the February 2010 Tourism Monitor Indicator below.
To download or read the full report of the Tourism Industry Monitor and previous editions, visit www.tourismresearch.govt.nz/tim Source: Tourism Industry Monitor February 2010 Top of Page
C - Confidential data To successfully apply for a special licence, members are encouraged to apply early and provide as much detail about the “occasion or event” or “social gathering” for which the special licence is required. On-licences with a “restaurant” designation and premises that are not therefore a Hotel or Tavern may trade as usual on Good Friday, Easter Sunday and before 1pm on ANZAC Day but this means that alcohol may only be served to persons while the premises are being operated as a restaurant. Similarly, the Shop Trading Hours Act provides that retailers of "prepared or cooked food ready to be eaten immediately in the form in which it is sold" may trade on Good Friday, Easter Sunday and before 1pm on ANZAC Day and this includes food premises that may not necessarily have a liquor licence. For more information about trading on Easter or ANZAC Day see Christmas, Easter and ANZAC Day - Sale of Liquor Info Sheet found under the HANZ Liquor Licensing Info and Templates (you will need your member login and password). If you have any queries do not hesitate to contact your HANZ Regional Manager on 0800 500 503. Top of Page There are a few scenarios that employers must be aware of and obligated to comply with when employees are working on public holidays. For more information HANZ has provided a flow chart that assists members to determine employee entitlements. This flowchart can be found under the HANZ Employment Info and Templates (you will need your member login and password) under Holidays Act or contact your HANZ Regional Manager on 0800 500 503. Finally, if applying a surcharge on any of the Public Holidays to cover added costs of trading, the amount of the surcharge must be clearly displayed to patrons, for example on the menu or blackboard, prior to patrons ordering any food or beverages to which a surcharge applies. Top of Page The request for this type of transaction was only mentioned after several emails which is not only frustrating for an accommodation provider but consumed more time than necessary, especially when they were busy in peak season. The local police were notified, who suggested to alert fellow accommodation providers. As always we do not advise sending money to anyone in advance for something that you are providing. Be wary of scams – they strike anywhere, anytime and take many elaborate forms. Top of Page Top of Page Top of Page
Top of Page Top of Page Liquor Reality: Although it is illegal for bars and pubs to let people get drunk, and it is closely watched by police, there were only 87 convictions for 2008, out of 15,000 bars and clubs. Myth: Bars and Clubs are bad because people go there to get drunk Click here for more information on the realities of alcohol use in New Zealand. |
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