Rotorua local lands dream hospitality scholarship

ROTORUA LOCAL LANDS DREAM HOSPITALITY SCHOLARSHIP

AMIDST TOURISM BOOM

The rise of tourism in Rotorua heralds great opportunities for young workers looking to enter a career in the tourism industry. Tourism is booming – Guest nights in Rotorua-based commercial and private accommodation rose 7.1% and 8.4% respectively in the March 2016 quarter (up 6.3% across the board in Rotorua for the year ending June 2016), while the local unemployment rate is at its lowest level since 2009.

A career in hospitality is beckoning, and passionate young local Māori students have been given a hand up to the industry since 2014, through the establishment of a scholarship programme with Sudima Hotels & Resorts and Ngati Whakaue Education Endowment Trust Board.

23-year-old local woman Te Waiwakaata Kingi-Tait (Wai) is the 2016 recipient of the sought-after scholarship and is embarking on a career she says will enable her to proudly represent her tribe to a global audience.

Born and bred in Rotorua, Wai left school in year twelve and began working in restaurants and motels where her love for the hospitality industry flourished. She heard about the scholarship through family friend Awatere Douglas, who happened to be the scholarship programme’s inaugural recipient.

“Pertinent to local Māori culture, looking after our people is a matter of great pride. And, with Rotorua’s strong tourism industry, we have the opportunity to showcase this pride and truly value our guests. Locals are inherently proud of their heritage, and we all want to share it with others.

“For a lot of youth, the kind of opportunity this scholarship offers does not come around often. I’m so grateful to represent my tribe in this way, and I know this scholarship is going to greatly benefit my future.”

Wai has been a part of the team at Sudima Lake Rotorua for one month, and loves it. “The people at Sudima are amazing, I haven’t come across one person who doesn’t love their job. They really look after their people here, which is intrinsic to my own core values and ethics – this career path is a true match for my desire to host people and showcase my culture.”

The scholarship programme with Sudima Hotels & Resorts and Ngati Whakaue Education Endowment Trust Board was established to encourage locals into leadership roles within the hotel industry in and around Rotorua & Bay of Plenty. It offers formal qualifications through the successful candidate’s chosen New Zealand-based tertiary institution as well as a paid 12-month placement with Sudima Lake Rotorua. The tertiary study has a monetary value of up to $7,500, not including the opportunity for employment with Sudima Hotels & Resorts in the future post their study.

When Wai commences her tertiary study, the skills and experience she will have obtained from her year at Sudima Lake Rotorua will place her ahead of her peers. Going forward with her studies would mean leaving her hometown, but Wai aims to return to Rotorua to pursue her dream career of hotel management in Rotorua.

Sudima Hotels & Resorts Director of Human Resources and a co-panel member in the judging of scholarship applicants, Maree Judd, says, “Being hospitable and a champion for your region are vital attributes for anyone working in this industry – and this is what we look for in scholarship applicants. Wai stood out to us because of her brilliant people skills and her clear passion for hospitality. Her drive to showcase her culture, of which she is immensely proud, will take her far in her new chosen career path.”

www.rotorualakescouncil.nz/our-council/council-publications/surveysandReports/Documents/Rotorua%20District%20Quartelry%20Economic%20Monitor%202016-3.pdf
www.stats.govt.nz/browse_for_stats/industry_sectors/accommodation/AccommodationSurvey_HOTPJun16.aspx

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About Sudima Hotels & Resorts

Sudima Hotels & Resorts, owned by the family of L.N. Jhunjhnuwala of Hong Kong, operates four hotels in New Zealand. The group is passionate about and committed to its environmental and social responsibilities and ensuring its high standard of ethics and values are met for all guests, staff and suppliers.

Sudima Hotels & Resorts is a strong advocate and supporter of the communities in which it operates, from supporting community-based sustainability initiatives; providing free breakfast to local school children via its Breakfast Club; to fostering local young leaders through Sudima Lake Rotorua’s scholarship programme with Ngati Whakaue Education Endowment Trust Board.

Sudima Hotels & Resort’s active management plan for the environment includes:

• Commitment to training and awareness of all team members in relation to Sudima Hotels & Resorts environmental philosophy.
• On-going development of environmentally-friendly procedures.
• Consultation with all Sudima Hotels & Resorts team members to foster ideas and awareness of the need to be a sustainable business.
• Implementation of new policies at Sudima Hotels & Resorts, as a result of consultation and research.
• Engagement of suppliers to commit to sustainable practices and products.
• Employment from within the local communities which Sudima Hotels & Resorts operate within, as much as possible, and a commitment to developing this resource.
• Utilisation of local suppliers and contractors wherever possible.
• Raising of environmental and social issues at a local level (where applicable).
• On-going awareness among our hotel guests, of our commitment to being sustainable.
• Support of community initiatives aimed at sustainable use of the region’s resources.

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