25 reasons why 2011 is going to be a great year!

1. Summer kicks off what will be a non-stop barrage of tourists, food, drinks and entertainment as thousands of rugby-crazed fans pour in from around the world and New Zealanders start travelling around their country again during next year’s Rugby World Cup. Teams representing 20 nations will compete in 48 matches across 13 host cities between September 9 and October 23 2011.
2. More Kiwis will also be out and about in the lead up to the rugby event with cricket and tennis competitions and food, wine and music festivals. Kenny Rodgers is even on the way here – what more can we say?
3. There will be strong demand after the RWC too, with those who put off travelling during the tournament, booking and coming once it’s done and dusted.
4. The RWC will stretch to the start of the Christmas party season, so the high season has effectively just been extended by two months.
5. The slower winter months probably won’t dip as much as they did last year.
6. Last year’s tax cut benefits will finally kick in with Kiwis having paid off a bit of debt and ready to spend some of that spare cash again (that’s a hint by the way!).
7. Corporate tax will be reduced to 28 per cent from April 1, meaning less provisional tax and a little more cash to work with for some.
8. Mortgage rates are unlikely to rise until June at the earliest, giving everyone a bit more discretionary cash (or at least no less than now).
9. The wine glut isn't going anywhere so there will still be bargains galore available.
10. Recent changes to the Immigration Act include tighter employer obligations to ensure prospective employees are legally entitled to work in New Zealand, and help for employers to make the checks quickly and easily while still retaining privacy protections. This will save both parties lots of time.
11. A new ‘interim visa’ in many cases, will also allow people to remain in New Zealand lawfully while their new temporary visa application is considered, making it easier to hire/retain good transient staff.
12. Overseas visitor arrivals are picked to rise offering more customers. The Tourism Strategy Group says regional tourism visitor nights will increase by 13 per cent in Auckland alone (including Waiheke) from 2010 to 2016 with an annual growth rate of 1.8 per cent. Auckland is second behind Queenstown which has an expected annual growth rate of 2.2 per cent.
13. Kiwis are travelling and staying away for longer, according to a survey by Best Western. They have increased their length of stay by 5.4 per cent on last year, and increased their average daily spend on accommodation by 9 per cent.
14. Business travellers are also on the up. According to the same survey, corporate clients and families were among the top market segments returning to hotels and motels in the past six months.
15. More business travellers will continue to pour in from China especially thanks to the Free Trade agreement launched between the two countries last year. The year ending September 2010 shows an 11.1 per cent increase in visitors from China on the previous year, according to the Tourism Industry Association (TIA).
16. Wellington is the number one destination hotspot for Kiwis but Christchurch’s recent earthquake isn’t putting visitors off as the Garden City moves to second place, according to the TIA. That’s good news for Christchurch businesses.
17. Christchurch has also moved from third to second place, ahead of Auckland in the popularity stakes with Kiwi travellers in the same survey above.
18. Lonely Planet has named Wellington the ‘coolest little capital in the world’ and ranked it the 4th top city in the world to visit in 2011. This will provide a wonderful boost to the city’s reputation and tourism industry.
19. The increased use of social media tools will help attract more customers. Last winter for example, Dunedin’s Pier 24 restaurant gave away a free hot chocolate to their 400 Facebook fans – 140 responded and cashed in on their treat.
20. Our overseas visitors next year will love the friendly-but-professional style of service that sets this country apart – as long as our rugby knowledge is on a par with our food and beverage know-how. (Some rugby small talk is definitely on the menu).
21. The NZQA is working towards establishing a single set of qualifications in the hospitality industry. This removes confusion as the path students need to follow will be much clearer, and employers will know what to look for in prospective employees.
22. More front-of-house staff will no doubt make their job a career, thanks to an increase in more service-related courses, one set of qualifications, more degree courses and the newly created Service Professional Association of New Zealand (SPANZ). Move aside chefs, it’s time for your service staff to share the limelight!
23. Christchurch will be rebuilt – stronger and better than ever – and it will thrive.
24. Brunch is on the comeback big time as chefs here and overseas report increasing brunch traffic. New York based international restaurant consultants Joseph Baum and Michael Whiteman also say one of the top dining trends for 2011 is going to be “breakfast all the time.”
25. Anything and everything New Zealand made is going to fly off the shelves. According to a recent tourism report, visitors want an authentic New Zealand experience during RWC 2011 – that includes sampling our seafood, lamb, olive oils, beer and wine.