Go with Tourism Expo – touch, smell, taste and bungy

Go with Tourism is partnering with NZ Careers Expo to deliver its very own tourism careers expo.

This week, from 23-25 May, thousands of young people will converge on the ASB Showgrounds in Auckland for the NZ Careers Expo. In addition to the traditional exhibitions, visitors will have a chance to discover the interactive Go with Tourism Expo.

Go with Tourism is a game-changing job connector platform targeting youth to fill skills shortages in the rapidly growing visitor economy, created by Auckland Tourism, Events & Economic Development (ATEED).

The Go with Tourism Expo will comprise of almost 40 exhibits from local tourism businesses and educators hoping to inspire young people to think about a career in the visitor economy.

Young people will have the chance to talk to with tourism professionals and educators, to ask many questions, and take part in interactive challenges.

Two interactive zones will allow people to touch, smell, taste and bungy. One site will focus on hospitality where visitors can sample treats made by young people starting out in the catering industry, make barista-approved coffee, and watch chefs demonstrate their plating techniques. The second site will focus on adventure tourism, where visitors can learn to become bungy masters and more.

Parents are also encouraged to attend the expo with their children. Research report, Tourism Youth Perceptions, spearheaded by ATEED and Tourism Industry Aotearoa (TIA) in 2018, found that parents are the greatest influencer on their children’s career choices – but they generally have a negative view on them pursuing a career in the tourism industry.

Auckland Tourism, Events & Economic Development General Manager, Destination, Steve Armitage says the Go with Tourism initiative sets out to dispel some of the misconstrued perceptions about the industry.

“Like any industry, getting experience and working your way up is the key to building a successful, life-long career in tourism. There are many great success stories from New Zealand’s number one industry which we want to highlight through the Go with Tourism platform and at the Expo,” he says.

“Demand for workers in the industry is growing across New Zealand. In Auckland alone, we need 27 per cent more jobs in the sector by 2025.”

Go with Tourism launched in April and has been an instant hit: 500 young people have signed up in the hopes of matching with a great job and employer; 166 quality employers are registered; and more than 30,000 people are actively visiting the site.

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