They just keep coming:

Look at the waitress's outfit. Classic!

Oceania Tourism has been appointed to market the Return To Paradise Resort and Spa, Samoa, in the New Zealand market. The Resort which is due to open in November this year, is at Lefaga, 25 minutes south of Faleolo airport, on the southern side of the main Island of Upolu.

Ross McLauchlan, GM of Oceania, who recently returned from the site says the Resort is on track to open in November with 60 rooms. “It really is in a fantastic location for travellers who want to arrive at the airport and get to their resort in a minimum of time and fuss. The beach, where the classic movie of the same name was shot is idyllic, is beautiful and really what a south seas holiday is all about.” McLauchlan says.

Simon Gault, is consultant chef and has designed a world class dining experience in Paradise Kitchen.  Mixing the best of his world class experience with the exciting fresh ingredients available in Samoa, Simon has produced the "must dine" experience of the Pacific.

There will be a revolving schedule of nightly dining events from poolside barbeques to a la carte to set menus to fiafias (island feast) complemented with appropriate entertainment.
 
The Resort will be run by experienced couple Denis and Christine Calleson who have been involved in the development of the property.

2013 Manureva International
Aquafest - KTA Cook Islands in
fabulous tropical Polynesia
Combine some of the most beautiful islands of Polynesia and the fun-loving, incredibly
welcoming and generous people with an eclectic crew of kiteboarders and watersport
competitors and you get the Manureva Aquafest.
HONG KONG - The Manureva International Aquafest
took place from the 10 - 14 June 2013 and marked the
second year of collaboration between the Asian
Kiteboard Tour team from the KTA and the Cook
Islands Kitesurf Association. Although primarily
focused around a kiteboard competition, the
Manureva Aquafest did as the title suggests. It threw
in a few other water challenges during the week.
Competitors found themselves not only needing to
meet their normal event challenges in freestyle and
course racing under their kites, but also other
‘waterman’ skills in the local Vaka outrigger canoes
and stand-up paddle board racing.
The event is heavily supported and sponsored by the
Cook Islands Tourism Department and Air Rarotonga.
Their aim is to see activity-based tourism increase in
the islands, particularly in the area of watersports, for
which the country is blessed with many perfect
locations.
Cook Islands Kitesurf Association organiser Paka
Worthington underlined that it was a bonus to
discover the traditions and culture of the Cook Islands
and its people and this was a key factor in the overall
experience of the competitors, to fully understand the
uniqueness of the event. A true mix of sports and local
culture and flavor.
‘Our ancestors dreamed of being able to fly’ said
Worthington ‘and this week at the Manureva we will
be fulfilling their dreams as the kiters take to the air,
bridging the gap between past and present’.
The KTA linked up with the Cook Islands Kitesurfing
Association to develop new competition opportunities
for both local and international riders alike. Having
established the competition last year, the event has grown for 2013 with the inclusion of
the KTA Kite Kids that introduced around 40 youngsters from local Rarotonga and Atutaki
schools to kiteboarding for the first time and will help develop the sport locally. The KTA
Kite Kids sponsorship support continues from Maelstorm and Ozone, with international
Neil Pryde subsidiary Cabrinha, who are supporting the programme for the first time to
provide the boards and water kites to take the classes further.
The kiteboard competition was put together to encourage riders to take part in both
freestyle and TT racing. Riders could just take part in only one or the other of the events,
but there was also an overall winner’s prize package based on the combination of the
points from each event - a double chance then to go home well-rewarded. Almost all of the
Contact Information
Name: Neil Godbold
Organization: Kiteboard Tour Asia
Email: [email protected]
URL: http://www.kiteboardtour.asia/

28 riders from 8 countries represented did so and took advantage of the extra events.
The Cook Islands themselves are the best kept tourism secret of the Pacific region - a
place where you can breathe in the fresh pure air and wade into the cool, calm blue
lagoons; calm that is except for those dynamic moments of competition that saw the kiters
blasting from the water in head-to-head competition. Reigning Asian Champion and one of
the visiting international riders at the event, Yo Narapichit Pudla took on all-comers in both
the freestyle and the race. In the end his wealth of experience enabled him to win, but not
before some high class challenges were dealt out by the locals. Tahiti’s Tetuatau Levervd
and Rarotnga’s Pauro in particular shone through in the freestyle event while fellow Cook
Islander Evarima Koteka showed great talent in the TT racing, even managing to take a
win off of Pudla, something seldom achieved this season by any rider.
For the girls it was fully international affair as the Cook Islands is still looking for its first
female competitor to emerge from their national riders. KTA Open race champion Kathrin
Borgwardt from Germany was to claim the title this time, showing she had not forgotten all
her freestyle moves either. Thailand’s Fon Benyapa and New Zealand’s Anderson Romero
were hot on her heels though throughout, making sure it was a hard fought competition all
the way to the finish.
The 15 islands of the Cooks lie halfway between New Zealand and Hawaii, scattered
across 2.2 million square kilometres of ocean, boasting rare beauty and an idyllic climate.
The Cook Islands are Paradise and a dream for any kiter to compete at, but this was no
normal kiteboard competition and soon competitors more used to the power of the wind
found themselves battling the elements from another angle at the end of a paddle.
Vaka outrigger canoes are the original mode of water transport across Polynesia. The
former lifeblood of the Maori, both in travel and food gathering, have been transformed
today into slick racing craft. For the Aquafest, teams of six paddlers took to the crystal
waters for a day of fast sprint Vaka action. The local teams as you might expect came out
on top, with some of the kiters looking less than their usual co-ordinated selves for once,
but great fun and competition was had by all.
The 2103 Manureva International Aquafest was counted by all involved as a great
success. The event had seen an increase in both local and international competitors,
showing that the event and the sport of kiteboarding is on the increase within the region
and for the Cook Islands in particular, prompting confidence in the future for bigger and
better things to come.

About KTA
The KTA was formed to give an international platform to the skills and talents of
kiteboarders throughout Asia, and to bring professional level competition and training to
the region. The KTA launched the first international tour of its kind in Asia in September
2009 and is currently in its fourth championship season.
Following the success of the KTA over the years it has grown to support a range of
National competitions, Open Events and International Championships, including the 2013
IKA Kiteboard Course Race World Championships to be held in Boao China.
The KTA is open to everyone from anywhere, amateur and pro riders alike and is the only
officially Asian continental tour partner sanctioned by the International Kiteboarding
Association (IKA), the kitesurfing world governing body and the International Sailing
Federation (ISAF) which governs all international sailing competitions from world
championship to Olympic levels.
KTA's philosophy has been to grow steadily while building on a good foundation. The focus
is on giving homegrown riders the opportunity to experience the fun and excitement of
being part of an international competition scene. The KTA hopes to provide a
stepping-stone for the region’s best riders onto the World tour scene by giving them the
full experience of high level competition at a more local affordable level.
The KTA Asian Tour will result in tour stop event champions, the eventual overall KTA open
tour champions, and the Asian champions and world rankings in the IKA and ISAF
sanctioned classes of freestyle and kite racing.
SFCPressPoint: 2013 Manureva International Aquafest - KTA Cook Isl... http://www.sportsfeatures.com/presspoint/pressrelease/53849/2013-ma...
2 of 3 21/06/2013 1:47 p.m.
This site is not affiliated with or endorsed by the International Olympic Committee (IOC), United States Olympic Committee (USOC), or the National Olympic
Committee (NOC) of any country.
Disclaimer Notice: By providing links to other Web Sites, Sports Features Communications® does not guarantee, approve or endorse the information or products
available at these web sites, nor does a link indicate any association with or endorsement by the linked Web Site to http://www.sportsfeatures.com.
About the Cook Island Kitesurfing Association
The Cook Island Kitesurfing Association was formed to promote the Cook Islands as a
kitesurfing destination, and to promote the sport of kitesurfing among Cook Islanders.
It is an organisation of local kite surfers and supporters and was recently admitted to the
International Kiteboarding Association (IKA) which governs kiteboarding internationally.
The Cook Islands Kitesurfing Association has also been admitted to several domestic and
international sports organisations. These include Sailing Cook Islands Sports & Olympic
Association, the Oceania Sailing Federation (OSF) and the International Sailing

Tonga recently released a new tourism marketing campaign in New Zealand. The campaign runs until the end of June and includes billboard advertising and a TVC campain to support it. This is a New Zealand first and is expected to contirbute to an already growing industry.

Here are the two billboards:

Oceania Tourism have been appointed to represent the Return to Paradise Resorty and Spa, in Lefaga, Samoa, to the New Zealand market.

The Resort is named after its location on Return to Paradise Beach, and will be 4 1/2 stars.

For more information, please contact [email protected]oceaniatourismgroup.com

This is awesome.

This article appeared as a Japanese transalton in the Japan Times Travel Section.


RAROTONGA COOK ISLANDS – They span an area the size of western Europe, but the Cook Islands may seem like the ends of the Earth when viewed from Japan — an 11-hour flight away south to New Zealand, followed by a four-hour “local hop” to the capital, Avarua, on the main island of Rarotonga.

Home to about 17,000 Maoris, this former British colony comprising 15 islands was ruled by Australia and New Zealand from 1901 until independence in 1965. It now hosts around 100,000 tourists per year, mainly Aussies and Kiwis. During my three-week visit in the January high season, I saw only one Japanese traveler, two Chinese, a handful of North Americans and a few Europeans studying or traveling in New Zealand.

Many people I met were asking: Where are the Japanese tourists? And indeed, the Cook Islands have so much to offer one and all. Safer than Guam or Saipan, it is more affordable than Tahiti, which Japanese commonly think of as a dream destination, albeit distant and expensive.

For sure, visitors from shopping-central Japan would love the Saturday-morning market on Rarotonga, which is home to all but about 4,000 of the nation’s population. Just at it teems with sarongs, ukuleles, pearls, masks and handwoven hats and mats, the islands have resorts a-plenty, with many set up to marry star-crossed lovers in a Christian church — in the traditional Maori way.

The main island, Rarotonga, a volcano rising 4,500 meters from the ocean floor — or to 658 meters above sea level at the summit of Te Manga — has the cooling breezes of Hawaii, spectacular scenery to rival Bora Bora in Tahiti and a technicolored lagoon reminiscent of Guam or the Marshall Islands. Here, coconuts quite literally fall from the trees (beware!), and wherever the gaze falls it seems to happen on a cornucopia of avocados, papayas, mangoes, breadfruits, pineapples, starfruits and passionfruits.

But thanks to the strength of the New Zealand dollar, which is the islands’ currency, a loaf of bread will set you back $6, and it’s $7 for a box of crackers and $8 for Pringles. Even the cheapest fast-food eateries offer greasy hamburgers for $5 or fish and chips for $10, while many main courses start at $20 — the usual less mendacious alibi being that lots of ingredients are imported from New Zealand or even Indonesia.

Nonetheless, Rarotonga generally feels like the old-time South Pacific, with women wearing flowers in their hair and big-boned men sporting tattoos. Instead of tight security at the airport, a ukulele player greets new arrivals with song.

Sometimes, however, the main island can get more than its fair share of rugby-loving Kiwi youth there to stagger on and off the Pub Crawl truck circling the island before heading for Whatever Bar or Rehab, where foreign women are a big draw for local boys eager to spoil them. For many Kiwi families, it’s like Hawaii Down Under, replete with cheesy lagoon cruises by day and “cultural” shows at night featuring muscular chaps in feathery head-dresses and sweaty young maidens wearing coconut bras.

Yet the inquiring visitor can’t help asking: Why is it that, if this is such a paradise, there are roughly 85,000 Cook Islanders living in New Zealand and Australia?

The answer is complex. One high school grad, selling carvings at the open-air Saturday market, said she was desperate to get away from a future of minimum-wage ($6.50 an hour) hotel jobs and the boredom of being stuck on an island 32 km in diameter, where all the residents know each other. A 50-something butcher, who blasted blues guitars riffs at his neighbors, said he’s worth more in Australia, and besides, he can’t stand his own island’s music and culture, which remains centered around Christian churches whose devout worshippers sing glorious multipart harmonies on Sundays.

Since Cook Islanders have New Zealand citizenship, they’re naturally drawn to the higher wages and better education there, and the diversity of cities such as Auckland and Christchurch. Besides, the Maoris have a proud tradition of migrating across the ocean, and just because they may work far away doesn’t mean they’re any less proud of their rich heritage and sacred traditions, best displayed at the Highland Paradise cultural feasts on Rarotonga.

Many hope that a developing tourism industry will induce more Maoris to stay closer to home. And certainly, European backpackers, who have, since the 1960s, been blazing trails across Asia that multinationals have followed, are starting to discover the Cook Islands. They can easily find dorm rooms for $25 a night, or singles for $50, and use the communal kitchens that come with them to cook up instant noodles or canned food. For their sightseeing, two buses — one going clockwise round Rarotonga, the other anticlockwise — are good deals at $4 per ride or $25 for 10; while a plethora of shops rent out scooters and small motorbikes for $30 per day or $100 per week — with rates for mountain bikes or electric push-bikes that are often less.

In paradise, though, the best things are often free. Stunning flame trees decorate the asphalt roads with red petals, while yellow and red hibiscus poke out of bushes and await their place in women’s hair. With your own snorkeling gear, you can marvel among the reefs off the Fruits of Rarotonga shop or the Dive Center near the Rarotongan Resort. You can stroll out of the cozy Muri Beach Resort and kayak, swim or walk at low tide across the peppermint-colored lagoon to an islet to call your own — a “motu” as such idyllyic spots are known.

Then, just slightly removed from nature, there’s fantastic local music to be heard everywhere: from the giant men and ladies with puffy fingers strumming ukuleles at the resorts, or the Tropical Sounds band at Hidie’s bar, which is a funky hangout on Wednesday and Friday nights and a food court daily at noon.

While there may be no such thing as a true paradise, travelers can find slices of it here. I found it snorkeling among a giant flounder, three moray eels, giant trevally and schools of other fish, who benefit from the traditional “raui” prohibition on fishing in the lagoon. Then paradise beckoned again during “island nights” held at Highland Paradise and the Muri Beach Resort, where top local dancers sway their hips to the frenetic rhythms of some impressive drummers.

For me, though, it just didn’t get better than playing basketball with local guys at the Seventh Day Adventist church, then rinsing off in the lagoon as sunset daubed the sky in the colors of the reef and its fish.

Like Okinawa, the Cook Islands boast healthy seniors typically living well into their 80s and 90s. On his plantation high above the lagoon, 85-years-young Joseph Marsters tells a stream of great stories as he goes around picking papayas, bananas and pineapples for his visitors. Then, after cutting down a length of sugar cane — also useful as a walking stick — he replants the leafy head to yield a new crop. Then, after he demonstrates how to hack down and husk a coconut, we drink the milk — with a dank and fermented taste similar to fine Japanese sake — as he hands out bottles of homemade coconut-oil for sunburnt, sea-dried hair.

Later, though — and yet again — as I sat in his little mountain hut overlooking the wild blue Pacific where he used to face down his fears on rickety boats for days on end, my mind wanders momentarily back to Tokyo’s concrete jungle, and I wonder what can possibly account for the notable absence of Japanese tourists on these islands.

This question lingers as I hop on to the 40-minute Air Rarotonga flight to Aitutaki, aka Araura Enua (about $200 each way), which is a much safer inter-island travel option than the hulking cargo boats that go every month or so and are apparently often delayed or run aground.

The warmth of Aitutaki — with perhaps the most beautiful lagoon in the Pacific and fantastic cruises to spectacular reefs and uninhabited islands — reminds me of Sri Lanka or rural Thai islands in the late 1980s. As I cycle, everybody passing on motorbikes smiles or waves. Matt Ruta, who runs the Payless store, which sells salty “Island Fries” of taro, arrowroot and breadfruit for $5 a pack, says: “We have just the right amount of tourists. Not too many, like in Rarotonga. We want to keep it this way. Everybody friendly, like a big family.”

I find the same “outer island” vibe and hospitality at the 27-bungalow Pacific Resort Aitutaki, where general manager Julian Moore greets every arrival. “Every single guest who leaves here talks about the staff. It’s really a treasure of the Cook Islands,” says Moore, who has run resorts in the Maldives, Dubai, Phuket (Thailand) and his native Australia. “They are really focused on caring in a family way. Even the best luxury hotels in other countries don’t get that feel, because there it’s a trained nurturing, not a natural one.”

Even more than Rarotonga, Aitutaki is a step out of time. Not long after checking into my bungalow, I begin to lose my last traces of stress as I sink into the luxury of my bed, sofa, two hammocks and four beach loungers. Time is no longer calibrated by a ticking clock organized into divisions of 24, 60 and 60. Here, it moves with the ebb and flow of the tides — two high and two low per day — and the rise and fall of the sun, moon and stars.

In addition to the lagoon and the resort’s infinity pool and waterfall, I have five showers of my own: a beach-front nozzle for rinsing, with another spout for my feet; a private outdoor garden shower with high walls for privacy and mirrors for intimacy; and an indoor shower room with two shower nozzles meant for honeymooners.

In other countries, travelers explore temples or castles to absorb the local culture. In the South Pacific, one must study the hammock. Comforted by an invisible mother rocking me in the cradle, I sink deep into a state of relaxation not possible in a hard chair, and watch yellow hibiscus blossoms floating down from a tree.

To further my cultural studies, I go snorkeling. The lagoon is just the right size: big enough for a challenge, yet shallow enough to safely touch bottom. Currents do much of the swimming for me, ferrying me like an astronaut over clusters of coral as I follow the resort’s Aquatic Eco-Trail map through different reef zones of fish.

Then, high on endorphins, I doze during further hammock studies and awake in a daze. Putting my feet on powdery white sand feels like my first moment on Earth. In the middle of the great blue ocean, far from civilization, I am at this instant a flower blooming under the sun. A flock of white birds play high in the sky, highlighting the absence of planes overhead in this remote region of the vast ocean.

Refreshed, I hop into a kayak, with my camera wrapped in a towel, and paddle toward the late-afternoon sun searing the blue sky to the west. Just then, what seems like a large bird flaps its wings directly in front of me. But this bird is under the water — a spotted eagle ray. It takes my breath away with it as it glides majestically before me, seemingly clad in a flowing royal-purple robe studded with diamonds.

The sunsets here are works of art, evoking images of South Pacific painters such as Paul Gaugin and William Hodges. Clouds turn from white to pink and reflect on the mirror of the glassy lagoon. With nothing but water between my kayak and the sun, I feel as if I am somehow in the middle of the sunset, bathing in a fountain of molten gold. After the sun plunges into the sea, bands of green — yes green — emerge above the horizon, while clouds seem to parade like poodles at a dog show.

Instead of hurrying ashore, I watch the stars pop out one by one until I’m paddling back in a three-dimensional planetarium of darkness and starlight.

After a scrumptious meal of ika mata (raw tuna and blended fruit juices), I stroll back to my bungalow intending to have an early night after reading a bit of a book about the Cook Islands by Ewan Smith, a gifted New Zealand-born photographer and pilot who also runs Air Rarotonga. However, the moon calls me to kayak on the lagoon at midnight. Laying on my back, gliding over the calm water, I think of ancient seafarers crossing the South Seas in traditional vaka (outrigger canoes), navigating by the skies and the patterns of waves, winds and birds.

Like a man unable to read a map, though, I recognize almost nothing above me other than the Milky Way and the Southern Cross. No such problems, I reflect, afflicted the astonishing English seafarer Capt. James Cook (1728-79), who charted much of the Pacific before being killed in the Sandwich Islands (present-day Hawaii). Then Fletcher Christian and others in the crew staged their infamous mutiny on HMS Bounty near Tahiti in 1789 before also piloting the marine expanses to live out secretive lives of hardship and solitude on utterly remote Pitcairn Island.

Meanwhile, on nearby Palmerston Island in the Cook Islands, an Englishman named William Masters arrived in 1863 with a couple of Maori wives, acquired some more, and went on to populate whole swaths of the South Pacific with offspring named Marsters — a variation thought due to the way “Masters” sounds in his native West Country accent.

Similarly, the Cleveland, Ohio-born writer Robert Dean Frisbee (1896-194 [8)] began a new life with the women of Puka Puka to the north; while legendary Kiwi hermit Tom Neale spent 15 years in total isolation on Suwarrow from 1952 to ’77, as is recorded in his book titled “An Island to Oneself.”

But the most amazing stories are those of the indigenous mariners — names now unknown — who voyaged around the so-called Maori triangle between New Zealand, Hawaii and Rapa Nui in the Easter Islands. Staring at the stars, I marvel at their achievements. They had almost no margin of error: one miscalculation, or lapse in judgment, and they would quite simply disappear without trace.

In contrast, I have a lighthouse in the distance — a lamp in my bungalow. It leads me home, where I sit on my hammock, breathing the cool night air, free from stress — and again, wondering where all the Japanese tourists are.

CHRIS JOHNSON

Graham “Skroo” Turner has a simple way of cutting through the corporate speak and time-wasting that often dominate internal meetings.

The man who built Flight Centre from one store on Sydney’s Martin Place to 2500 in 11 countries, amassing a personal fortune of close to $500 million worth of stock along the way, doesn’t beat around the bush.

View it here:

This guy Ken and his Japanese partner run a Motor Lodge in Taupo and he is very bizarre. It's a wonder TV actually had enough guts to air the show.

http://tvnz.co.nz/hotel-sos/s1-e2-video-3933537

This is from a recent post on Harvard Business Review on Email and it offers a new perspective.

http://blogs.hbr.org/cs/2013/04/email_is_not_free.html

The difference if balc and white. Maybe we have come of age!

Tourism accreditation scheme steering committee members Janice Mellor, Greg Stanaway, Liana Scott, inspector Kate Payne, and Steve Lyon.

A New Zealand tourism accreditation inspector reports she is impressed with the standard of accommodation in Rarotonga, after checking 25 properties over a week.Kate Payne inspected the properties in the first of four accreditation checks this year.

The Cook Islands Tourism Industry Council and the Tourism Corporation signed an agreement last October to revive a nationwide accreditation scheme that gives accommodation providers a means to prove to tourists their businesses meet agreed-upon standards.
Payne produced a series of reports which she presented to the accreditation steering committee on Friday afternoon.
She was guided by a three page checklist the committee put together. This included looking at recycling and sewerage systems, energy and water conservation and how it is communicated to guests, fire safety and emergency procedures, cleanliness of rooms and grounds, security measures, and safety around pools.

Payne said “everyone did fine” although some accommodators will need to do more work before being completely up to scratch. They will be revisited in the next inspection to make sure they have complied. “This gives the scheme some teeth – it’s not just a tick in the box,” she said.
Payne was hired to do the accreditation check by Oceania Tourism Ltd, a NZ consultancy company working with the accreditation committee. She is a senior hospitality lecturer at Auckland University of Technology, and has worked in the tourism sector for years.
“You have to have worked in the industry to be an accreditation inspector,” said Payne. She has managed budget right through to luxury properties and “knows what it takes”.

The property owners inspected were receptive to the inspections, said Payne. “Everyone was very positive about it. Some need a little support to comply, but Rarotonga is a grown-up destination now and it’s important the safety measures are there.”
This was her first time to the Cooks and she really enjoyed her time here, finding the country very clean. “All properties were immaculate, with extensive planting – just stunning. There were quality furnishings, simple but beautiful.”

The next step is for Rarotongan businesses involved in beauty, spa and weddings, transport, and retail to get the chance to become accredited. The accreditation programme also soon to be rolled out in Aitutaki, with an industry meeting held there last night.
Some of the benefits of accreditation include being featured on the Tourism Corporation website and in its promotional material, gaining permission to use the accreditation logo and brand, becoming eligible for industry council membership and the Tourism Awards, reaping the benefits of government-sponsored training and seminars, and being able to participate in agent and journalist famils and programmes.

•    Calida Smylie - Cook Island News

Rick Hamilton, CEO of Tourism FIJI, has decided they wont be participating in their own annual trade show, the BFTE or Bula Fiji Tourism Exchange. BFTE which is due to go 'live' on the 15 - 17th of May has been attended of late by numerous South Pacific nations and is advertised as:

"The Fiji Islands is the hub of the Pacific and at BFTE you can meet the top tourism identities from the Cook Islands, Niue, Papua New Guinea, Kiribati, Norfolk, American Samoa, Samoa, Tahiti, Solomons, New Caledonia, Tonga, Vanuatu and of course, the Fiji tourism industry."

This decision is because FIJI dont want to feel marginalised by other nations attending their trade show. “Competing Pacific islands are invited to participate to showcase their offering, conduct contract talks, network and try to win business against Fiji,” he said. “We believe it is difficult enough to win business with local competition, let alone have to compete in this forum against the rest of the South Pacific in their own country.”

David Voss, the event organiser says "Tourism Fiji’s role at the Bula Fiji Tourism Exchange was to attend and meet stakeholders there.”
“It’s an industry-funded event and funds come from the tourism industry, mainly our major sponsors such as Westpac, AON and Air Pacific.
“Their withdrawal therefore, will have no impact on the event what-so-ever.”

“The customer is always right!” Many businesses live by and preach this phrase. But is it true? No, and everyone knows it. What the phrase really means is that it is best to assume customers are always right and give them what they want rather than lose good customers.

But is this a good strategy to follow? I don’t think so, and others agree with me according to some of the things I read. These writers point out that there is a minority of bad customers out there that will take advantage of businesses, cost them money and should be “fired.” I agree. Not all customers are worth keeping.

The question you should be asking instead

Good. So now, what do you tell your employees? “Some customers are good; some are bad – use your judgment”? The answer becomes clear if we ask the proper question. Asking whether the customer is always right is a waste of time. The real question we should ask is: Does the customer honestly believe he/she is right? If you keep this phrase in mind and preach it to your employees, proper actions will become apparent.

The honest customer

When customers honestly believe they are right, you should treat them as if they are right by honoring their requests and handling their problems. Customers may be making honest mistakes due to misunderstandings or confusion. Correcting them and rejecting their requests will simply create hard feelings and may lose them as customers. Employees must be trained to understand that saving a few dollars is not worth the loss of a good customer and that customer’s potential contribution to the bottom line of the business for years to come. If more than a few dollars are involved in meeting the customer’s request, a manager can be called in to aid in the situation.

If there is a need to correct the customer to avoid future misunderstandings, do it after you have handled the complaint. If you do it before, you will be viewed as lecturing by the customer. If you do it after, you will likely be viewed as having provided additional useful information.

The less-than-honest customer

If you think the customer is not honest in his/her request or complaint, you should, in my view, politely refuse with justification. You may make some customers upset and they may not come back, but so what? Why would you want to keep them if they are trying to rip you off? My daughter was a part-time employee for several years for a major department store. Occasionally customers would come in with clothes to return that had clearly been worn and washed or were stained, etc. Most of us believe in fairness and honesty, so taking the clothing back was demoralizing to the employees and made them angry. And they knew, of course, that doing so just raised costs for the business and, thus, prices for good customers. I believe that politely refusing these customers with appropriate explanation (e.g., “I’m sorry, but there’s a stain here. I won’t be able to sell it, so I can’t take it back”) is called for in such situations. If you lose these customers, they simply become a problem for your competition.

The judgment call

So, what if you don’t know whether or not customers are being honest in their complaints or demands? Then treat them as if they are correct, handle these situations to their satisfaction, but get necessary information so they can be tracked over time to determine whether such problems continue with them in the future. If problems continue, you may change your evaluation and actions toward particular customers.

Yes, you can, and should at times, “fire” customers, but pick your battles carefully. When customers honestly believe they are right, make them happy. You’ll hopefully turn them into devoted customers. If they clearly are not being honest in their complaints, refuse them and let them go. They weren’t going to build your business anyway.

About the author

Dr. Dennis RosenDr. Dennis Rosen is The WinFluence(R) Expert on customer service and sales.

For a brand to have meaning in any useful sense there must be a collection of clear and concise standards which ensure that each user of the brand has the responsibility to deliver a consistent and uniform guest experience.

The great hotel operating companies of the world whether they are international or entirely local, or whether they have one brand or a suite of brands, fundamentally depend on their owners and franchisees to adhere to brand standards. Typically the brand standards are most comprehensively codified with respect to five (5) star brands as these generally are the most treasured gems in the operator’s stable of brands.

For both managed and franchised hotels, operators take various approaches to brand standard compliance. Some operators mandate brand standard audits and if not complied with on one or more occasions then adverse consequences may be imposed upon the recalcitrant owner with the ultimate sanction being termination of the management or franchise arrangement, removal of the brand and the potential of a claim for significant damages against the owner for breach of contract.

For hotels under management agreements, compliance with brand standards at all times is achieved through the daily management leadership of the general manager and other senior personnel appointed to the hotel by the operator. In practice, however, operators adopt a common sense approach to compliance particularly with respect to matters such as upgrade requirements pertaining to technology in advance of the expiration of the life cycle / tax written down value of existing technology in the hotel.

To take but one example in the technology landscape, mandated requirements to comply with state of the art plasma screen / LCD television receivers are tempered by a recognition that this should only be insisted upon when the life cycle / tax depreciation expiry date of existing television receivers is reached.To take but one example in the technology landscape, mandated requirements to comply with state of the art plasma screen / LCD television receivers are tempered by a recognition that this should only be insisted upon when the life cycle / tax depreciation expiry date of existing television receivers is reached.

Brand standards are the essence of the symbiotic relationship between all owners and franchisees who are authorised to use the brand and the operating company who is the brand owner. Each owner/franchisee looks to the operating company to mandate brand standard compliance across the chain of hotels using the same brand and to take decisive action with respect to instances of non-compliance. The operating company relies on each owner/franchisee to comply with its contractual obligations to comply with brand standards and spend the necessary funds to ensure that this takes place.

About the author

Graeme DicksonGraeme Dickson is a partner in the Structured Real Estate group in Sydney at Baker & McKenzie and is global coordinator of the Firm’s leading Hotels, Resorts & Tourism Practice Group. He is recommended by Best Lawyers, Chambers Asia Pacific and Doyle’s Guide for his work advising on hotels and tourism law.

As Australia readies itself for a new lease of life in its ultra-luxurious hotel sector, the industry is debating whether it needs a new rating system to cater for this new era of development.

Over 60 hotels from established luxury brands are planned across the country in the coming years. “The developers of these hotels believe that the time has come to define a new category of luxury and they are pushing for a six-star rating to differentiate themselves,” says Julian Whiston, Executive Vice President – Strategic Advisory, JLL Hotels & Hospitality Group. “The current debate centers on whether a new rating system needs to be created to cater for this new era of development.”

The Ritz-Carlton is planning one such luxury hotel in Melbourne, and other similar projects are slated for Perth’s Elizabeth Quay and Brisbane’s Queen’s Wharf.

“Among the most ambitious properties entering the market is Crown Resorts’ hotel in the Barangaroo precinct, which billionaire James Packer has declared to be the best in the world,” says Whiston. “This suggests an even higher rating, since the most decorated hotels such as the Burj Al Arab Jumeirah in Dubai already claim to be seven stars.”

A star-struck history

As more high-end hotels seek to make their mark, the Australian hotel industry has evolved to better meet consumer demands and tastes, as seen from the launch of ‘lifestyle brands’ that focus on ambience rather than room size or specific facilities. A more striking example is that of former three-star motels, such as Bannisters at Mollymook and Halcyon House at Cabarita, transforming themselves into A$500-a-night (US$380) boutique hotels.

“In the early days of the Australian hospitality industry, hotels and motels lived and died by the star ratings provided by the motoring associations,” says Whiston. “Each pronouncement was treated like the gospel truth, although the stars were accorded based on property facilities and disregarded other embellishments like ambience, service and style.”

Such was the case until the 1990s, when chain hotels arrived, setting their own brand standards. Later, the internet also brought with it review sites like TripAdvisor, giving consumers the power to rate accommodation options, consequently reducing the significance of official ratings. ‘Self-ratings’ made an appearance as well, with many booking sites allowing hotels to ‘self-rate’ rather than pay for an official star rating.

This variety in rating systems has led to multiple hotels claiming five-star status or beyond, with each benchmarking its claim against a different point of reference from its competitor.

Stars that shine and stars that burn

Today, the official rating system is making a comeback, as hoteliers resist the arbitrariness of guest-led ratings. Key to their argument is the call for greater fairness and representativeness for both travellers and the industry alike.

The significance of an official rating system is clear: For independent boutique hotels, it is an important investment that endorses its quality. The difference between an official rating of four and five stars can make a big difference to the bottom line of these hotels.

On the other hand, such objective standards cut both ways. High star ratings typically mean high prices, and that can work against such hotels during economic slowdowns. Not only will leisure travellers choose more reasonably priced options but corporations will also look for lower cost lodgings to demonstrate restraint to their shareholders.

Changing how consumers view luxury

“With the number of brands touting five-star status these days, a new category may be necessary to differentiate the new breed of luxury hotels. If six-star is not feasible, then at least five-star plus,” says Whiston.

As a response to the noise around ratings, the industry has sought to introduce a new paradigm: looking at hotels in terms of ‘budget’, ‘economy’, ‘midscale’, ‘upscale’ and even ‘upper upscale’. Nonetheless, travellers and booking sites alike still revert to star-based systems, hoping to make their decisions based on some form of objectivity instead.

While it’s unlikely that the issues around the star-rating system will be resolved in the short term, it’s not stopping Australia’s hotels from raising their standards in pursuit of a new definition of luxury.

Source: Jones Lang LaSalle’s JLL Real Views.

By Hannah Edensor

One day after Quest Serviced Apartments relaunched as ‘Quest Apartment Hotels’, we decided to get the lowdown on the industry by speaking exclusively to Quest ceo Zed Sanjana.

And what an industry it is, with Airbnb, online travel agents, and a competitive landscape – all vying for the modern business traveller.

“Customer needs are changing, and expectations are shifting, and our brand is evolving to become relevant for them,” Sanjana told Travel Weekly.

“Everyone is talking about the millennial traveller, the travellers in their 20s and early 30s, but we want to extend beyond that.

Sanjana calls it a “millennial mindset”, which he says is a way of approaching the market and slotting their needs into a renovated hotel landscape.

“Millennials will be 78% of the workforce in 20 years’ time,” Sanjana said. “And they are a much more sophisticated customer than 20 years ago.”

“They want and need to travel. They’re driven by experience, driven by sharing, they’re connected, and they’re looking to determine their experience themselves.”

“They also have access to a lot more infrastructure to make their decisions than ever before.”

With all this in mind, Sanjana says this is a positive sign for Quest, as their position as an apartment hotel gives millennial travellers the chance to determine their own experience post check-in.

“Apartment hotels give a different type of experience than a person checking in to a hotel,” Sanjana told Travel Weekly.

“They can cook for themselves, have their family stay with them, get a cappuccino from the local place downstairs that we’ve recommended, live like a local – they are masters of their own destiny.”

And Sanjana believes Quest has “no standout competitor”, adding that the franchise is in “every CBD, suburban and regional market.”

Talking about Airbnb, Sanjana told Travel Weekly that while the home-sharing disruptor is “good at what they do”, what they don’t do is the ‘beyond booking experience’.

“They’re [Airbnb] good at technical experiences and are good booking channels,” Sanjana said.

“But beyond the booking experience they don’t have the ability to check in with the guests once they’ve actually checked-in, and that’s our advantage.”

“The OTAs and Airbnb don’t drive demand, and don’t create their own inventory.”

“Our game is to make customers warm to our brand, create that stickiness of our brand.”

“A customer is always going to judge you on their worst experience not their best. We’re playing to our strengths.”

And with a “robust pipeline” with a “number of sites around Melbourne and Sydney” in the works, not to mention outside Australia working with The Ascott Limited, Quest is showing no signs of slowing down.