ATIA and TAANZ focus on Trans-Tasman collaboration as supplier risk, aviation capacity and agency model shifts reshape the operational landscape for travel businesses in Australia and New Zealand.
Australia and New Zealand’s peak travel industry bodies reaffirmed their long-standing partnership with the Australian Travel Industry Association (ATIA) and Travel Agents’ Association of New Zealand (TAANZ) leaders meeting to discuss shared pressures affecting members on both sides of the Tasman.
Supplier risk, regional and global aviation capacity and the future of agency models were among the specifically Australasian issues on the ATIA and TAANZ agenda as the two organisations explored where closer alignment can deliver stronger outcomes for travel advisors and operators.
For 40 years, ATIA and TAANZ have worked together to address industry challenges, including airline issues affecting advisors and operators across the Indo-Pacific.
ATIA CEO Dean Long said the relationship between the two peak bodies is grounded in a shared understanding that many issues affecting Australia are also likely to affect New Zealand, and vice versa.
“We can complement one another in terms of resources, and where we’ve got joint members, we work together but we acknowledge the nuances that are also needed,” he said.
TAANZ CEO Julie White said stronger ATIA and TAANZ collaboration is necessary for members operating across both markets.
“Trans-Tasman alignment isn’t just logical – it’s essential. There are real synergies across our two markets, and we see that every day with members operating seamlessly on both sides of the Tasman. What they’re looking for is simple: strong advocacy and practical outcomes that genuinely support their businesses and their customers,” she said.
TAANZ board member and NZ Travel Brokers Director Andrew Bowman leads the global aviation brief on regional matters with the World Travel Agent Association Alliance with ATIA support.
“It’s all about membership value and how do we make sure that we protect our customers. The consumer is central to everything. [The ATIA and TAANZ meeting] is about sharing ideas and making sure that what’s happening globally is applied appropriately in New Zealand and Australia,” he said.
ATIA Industry Protection Program
A key part of the ATIA and TAANZ Sydney discussions centred on consumer protection with TAANZ sharing insights from its long-running industry bonding and protection program to help inform the new ATIA Industry Protection Program (AIPP) as it moves into its operational phase.
Long said New Zealand’s experience offers a useful benchmark as ATIA develops its own framework.
“New Zealand has been a leader in industry bonding and consumer protection for 30 years. We want to understand what lessons TAANZ has, what can be shared, and if there are areas for collaboration and synergy that deliver the greatest value for our members at the lowest price point,” he said.
“We want to be sharing and collaborating on how we grow overall consumer sentiment and use protection to underpin that. That work benefits members in both markets.”
