CEO UPDATE
It gives me immense pleasure to report on our attendance at the inaugural Pacific Hospitality Forum (PHF). The inaugural PHF was created to provide hospitality associations, agencies and organisations from across the Pacific to meet and share their challenges and opportunities, and to develop valuable relationships and closer ties, as we all look to rebuild our industries it the wake of the Coronavirus pandemic. The PHF was borne out of the work the THA has been doing for many years to support Rotary in the development of a hospitality training school in a disadvantaged area on Fiji’s west coast. Graduates from this school are now being sought after by some of the resorts in the region, and has led to a close working relationship with the Fiji Hotel and Tourism Association (FHTA). The THA has also had a long standing and close working relationship with Hospitality New Zealand (HNZ) and the three organisations agreed that there was an important opportunity to establish a forum, where hospitality associations from across the Pacific can meet and collaborate. Partnering with the Pacific Tourism Organisation (SPTO), the four organisations agreed to host the inaugural PHF in Auckland New Zealand, and I take this opportunity to thank our New Zealand counterparts, in organising and managing a first-class inaugural event. The PHF was attended by more than 60 people from seven Pacific nations, as well as New Zealand, Australia, and a number of representatives from Tasmania. From the very first session it was clear that everyone was keen to roll up their sleeves up and engage on issues including how we can collaborate and support the growth of our industries across the Pacific, workforce development and training, sustainability, and a wide range of other challenges and opportunities. The very first session was a true eye opener, focusing on immigration. It was remarkable to learn of the difficulties and challenges the island nation hospitality industries face and the ways in which all can work together, to ensure that the immigration systems support the movement of people in our industry around
the Pacific, to the betterment of all our industries. There is some work to be done before we now move forward but there is a genuine interest from all who attended to meet again, with the next PHF now scheduled to be held in Fiji in 2025.
What were the benefits?
Tasmania now has a much more extensive network of relationships to call upon when considering opportunities, such as employing foreign visa workers from across the Pacific. We are also now able to support our Pacific neighbours in the development of their hospitality industries, as we have done with the hospitality training school on Fiji’s west coast. This is important. Long term effective relationships are as much about contributing as they are about the benefits that may be received. The PHF has also coincided with the THA’s engagement with the American Hotel and Lodging Association (AHLA), UK Hospitality, Canadian Hotels Association, and HOTREC, the umbrella hospitality organisation across Europe. It is a demonstration of how collegiate we all are, with the THA being invited to participate with these four organisations in their inaugural hospitality dialogue in Lisbon last year, as well as being invited to the World Hospitality Alliance in Manchester later this year. The THA is already seeing the benefits of these relationships, with UK Hospitality and HOTREC supporting the THA with its food waste initiatives, including a food waste study tour in the UK and Europe by a Tasmanian hospitality professional in May-July this year. These northern hemisphere and Pacific relationships will be of enormous benefit for Tasmania’s hospitality industry for many years to come, ensuring we are not only connected internationally, but also engaged with contemporary developments in the hospitality industry internationally. And pleasing to me, these are not just professional relationships, but personal relationships based on trust and a willingness to support one another with the development of our industries around the world.
7 Tasmanian Hospitality Review April/May Edition
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