Reconnecting New Zealand’s valuable Bed and Breakfast sector with the international travel trade will be a key focus at its first annual conference in three years.
Bed and Breakfast operators are thrilled to be getting together for the first time since 2020, at the Bed & Breakfast Association New Zealand conference, taking place at the Copthorne Oriental Bay, Wellington, from the 19th until the 21st of June 2023.
Bed and Breakfast Aotearoa New Zealand president, Donna Brooke said that the conference this year will revolve around being prepared for the return of international visitors.
“We’ve continued with domestic travellers during the pandemic but our members are really excited to get back into the swing of hosting our international visitors. So the theme of our conference is appropriately Back in the Swing,” said Brooke.
A travel trade afternoon is set to be the opening event of the conference, which will facilitate connections between bed and breakfast operators and inbound tour operators. The session is already attracting a lot of interest from agents and wholesalers in New Zealand and in Australia. Participants will include bed and breakfasts, homestays, farm stays, luxury accommodation, self-catering properties as well as small commercial-sized bed and breakfasts.
Operators participating in the afternoon will meet minimum quality standards set out by the organisation and are assessed at three yearly intervals, providing assurance that they offer a first-class quality experience and are ready to work with international travel wholesalers.
Brooke said that this will be an opportunity for inbound tour operators to meet the people behind the business.
“The bed and breakfast sector is helping meet the demand from international travellers for high-quality accommodation in New Zealand, especially after the loss of so much accommodation due to the impacts of the pandemic,” said Brooke.
“We provide a boutique and genuinely ‘Kiwi’ experience to our visitors. Having the opportunity to meet and stay with their hosts offers an unforgettable chance to live like a local.”
