CEO UPDATE
As we continue to rebound from the impacts of Covid-19 and lay the platform for a strong and sustainable future for Tasmanian hospitality, tapping into the insights and knowledge of other major bodies will be vitally important. The THA has enjoyed a long-standing relationship and memorandum of understanding with Hospitality New Zealand, and in more recent years has developed strong relationships with the Fiji Hotel and Tourism Association (FHTA) and the Pacific Tourism Organisation (SPTO). In conjunction with these organisations, we have developed a joint initiative to host a Pacific Hospitality Forum (PHF) in early 2024. The purpose of the PHF is to provide an opportunity for hospitality associations and agencies around the Pacific region to meet and share their experiences, ideas and challenges, and to provide an opportunity for dialogue and collaboration, as we all look to rebuild our hospitality industries. The idea for the Pacific Hospitality Forum grew, in part, out of the work the THA has been doing over many years to support the development of a hospitality/ catering training school, a Rotary project that has been developed to support a disadvantaged region on Fiji’s west coast. These graduates are now being sought after by the hospitality industry on Fiji’s west coast and island resorts. This work has proved invaluable, not only in providing young people in the region with future employment and career opportunities but has also been of value in supporting the local hospitality industry, which is currently facing the same acute hospitality skills shortages as Tasmania. The inaugural PHF will be held in Auckland, New Zealand on April 8 and 9 next year, with representatives invited from hospitality associations and government agencies across the Pacific, as well as development partners fostering private sector development in the hospitality sector. Discussion points will likely include skills and training, workforce development, mental health and well-being, women in leadership, customer service and industry development. This will be a great
opportunity to strengthen ties with countries in our region and will hopefully be the first of many forums to be held across the Pacific in future years. Further to this, myself and president Ben Carpenter are headed to Portugal for the HTNG Conference and Hotec EMEA event at the end of October. The HTNG (Hotel Technology Next Generation) European Conference is the region’s premier hospitality technology event, bringing together hundreds of local and global IT professionals for networking and education. As part of this, the big picture opportunity is a Hotel Association Dialogue, featuring the American Hotel and Lodging Association, UK Hospitality and other European associations. This is a fantastic chance for us to sit down with some of the biggest associations in the world, discuss and share our ideas, areas of concern and public policy priorities while also establish networks we can hopefully tap into in the future. Finally, congratulations to all the winners from our Awards for Excellence, it was a fantastic turnout at the Royal Tasmanian Botanical Gardens despite the weather curveballs we were thrown. The change in format was not taken lightly but from all the feedback I have received it was a resounding success, and will only grow bigger and better in the years ahead now we have a blueprint of how the gala event will run!
7 Tasmanian Hospitality Review October/November Edition
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