Where Are Our Workers This Summer?

Recent figures are suggesting that over 65,000 workers will be required this summer to meet the post pandemic tourism demand for New Zealand – across all tourism sectors.

Take the tour and coach sector for example, “we estimate that at least 1,000 drivers are needed to meet demand,” says Ben McFadgen, CEO of the Bus and Coach Association. “Furthermore there are shortages across the board that are impacting on tour and coach sector recovery. For example, diesel mechanics, they’re as rare as wild haggis. We are also missing operations staff, front of house staff, cleaners – you name it.”

It’s a serious problem, that according to Mr McFadgen, simply did not need to happen. “It would have been easy to head this problem off at the pass, with a bit of support” he said, “However, Minister Nash ignored the sector’s cries for help – he was either unwilling or unable to understand how integral tour coaches were to the smooth running of New Zealand’s tourism industry, and now we are in a position where New Zealand’s reputation as an international tourism hotspot is about to be badly damaged. We lack staff, operators, and buses. When you consider all the other tourism sector shortages, for example rental vehicles, hospitality – even saying it’s a challenge is slightly undercooking things.”

Mr McFadgen believes the responsibility for the situation that the sector finds itself in lies with the tourism minister. “We raised the alarm repeatedly that our tour operators needed support, and he ignored us. Many went under exactly as we predicted. The industry has been decimated, 40% have gone. Mr Nash needs to get his knitting right instead of gallivanting around the world promoting a tourism vision that New Zealand will struggle to deliver. A managed ramping up of our tourism industry, so supply could keep up with demand, would possibly have been a better idea.”

It's not an easy fix either. “It could have been,” says McFadgen, “but the lack of support for the tour and coach sector has turned this issue into a long term one that will take years to recover from.”

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