BACKIn August, 22 of our Tourism students went on a memorable trip to various providers around Auckland city centre. Due to Covid-19 lockdowns, this was the first time we had been able to run this trip since 2019, and it represented the rebirth of the tourism industry in Aotearoa following two years of border closures.
The first stop was the International Travel College. We got to enjoy their flight attendant training facilities, which are always lots of fun. The All Blacks Experience was new for this year. This new interactive attraction provided something for everyone—even if you had no interest in rugby, it was still fascinating, as it showcased the culture and technology behind one of New Zealand’s most successful exports. A particular highlight was facing the haka on a huge cinema screen, filmed especially for this.
Finally, we reacquainted ourselves with A.J. Hackett, who took us onto the Harbour Bridge. We had done this walk before, but only on the underside of the bridge—this was a new experience in that this time we got to climb to the flagpoles at the very top. Needless to say, the views were astounding.
At the end of the day, we got plenty of satisfied customers—and hopefully a few future tourism employees.
