Matt Stenton, Programme Director of Go with Tourism, says:

Yesterday (30 September 2021) it was confirmed by the Ministry of Education that Tourism will become an achievement-standard subject in 2023.

The team at Go with Tourism and I are absolutely thrilled – this is a huge win for our industry.

For three years, I have been a vocal supporter of changing how Tourism is taught and viewed in secondary schools. Despite the hard work of our amazing Tourism teachers, the current unit standard curriculum does our industry more harm than good. It is deemed unworthy of top students and has a reputation as a "bum" subject. This is a key factor why there is ongoing stigma surrounding Tourism careers.

However – prior to COVID – Tourism was the largest export industry in New Zealand, generating $40.9 billion for the country. It employed eight per cent of our nation’s workers and demand for talent was skyrocketing. It was, and will be again, a powerhouse industry for New Zealand. We need a curriculum that recognises this, as well as the incredible range of career opportunities it offers Kiwis.

The news of an achievement-standard subject is a welcome change – the future of Tourism will benefit greatly from new generations of highly skilled graduates.

While Go with Tourism has been an enthusiastic supporter of this change – doing what we can when we can – I would like to give my sincere thanks to the true champions behind this campaign: Tourism Teacher’s Association New Zealand. This fantastic group of people led the charge, and they ought to be very proud of themselves right now.

I would also like to say thank you to Tourism Industry Aotearoa whose education initiative became a key part of Go with Tourism, allowing us to build relationships with educators, talk one-on-one with students, and experience first-hand how critical better Tourism education is for the industry.

No doubt, our next milestone will be to have Tourism recognised as a university-entrance subject; but I look forward to seeing the positive change that will happen as a result of this recent win.

Written by Helen Shaw, Marketing Communications Manager