Travel trade hub

Inbound Tour Operators (ITOs) play an important role in bringing tourists to our region.

What is an ITO?

An Inbound Tour Operator (ITO) is a New Zealand-based business that specialises in itinerary planning, product selection, and coordinating travel arrangements for overseas clients, such as wholesalers or retail travel agents.

Acting as the local product expert, ITOs select and collaborate with export-ready products, including accommodation, tours, transport, and meals, to craft exciting and engaging travel itineraries.

Role of an ITO

ITOs play a crucial role in promoting these products through various overseas travel distributors.

Key considerations for ITOs include choosing tried-and-tested products with a successful domestic track record, offering good value for money, maintaining consistent quality and excellent customer service, providing unique and appealing experiences, and ensuring regular availability of products for travellers to Christchurch.

Qualmark is New Zealand tourism’s official mark of quality. Qualmark provides evidence that your business has been independently validated as a quality tourism business. It provides instant recognition for customers that your business will deliver a quality experience.

With Qualmark, you get more than a logo that instantly tells travellers you run a quality tourism business.

Here’s what you can expect:

• A Qualmark accreditation in recognition of your commitment to sustainable tourism.
• Qualmark accreditation influences consumer and travel trade decision-making.
• The ability to leverage your business via ongoing Qualmark partnerships within the industry.
• Nationwide promotion through the isite network.
• Collaboration between Qualmark members through recognition of aligned practices.
• Tools and resources to support members in their daily business operations.
• Assessed against the Sustainable Tourism Business criteria, which has been officially recognised by the Global Sustainable Tourism Council as being in line with the GSTC industry criteria.

Visit the Qualmark website to apply for membership.

Keep up to date with the latest training and workshop sessions

The Lunch ‘n Learn workshops are a collaboration between ChristchurchNZ, Destination Kaikōura, Development West Coast, Venture Timaru, Mackenzie Tourism and Tourism Waitaki.

The short (approx. 1 hour) online sessions aim to equip operators with the skills and knowledge necessary to thrive in today’s competitive tourism landscape.

Part 1: Understanding the travellers and the trade distribution channels

An important overview that will set the foundation for the other two parts. You’ll walk away with a greater understanding of:

• New Zealand’s main markets and market characteristics.
• The benefits of working with travel trade.
• Travel trade ecosystem and distribution channels (ITOs, wholesalers, OTAs) – who does what, how it works.
• Pros and cons of each channel.
• Q&A’s.

Download the Trade Readiness Module 1 presentation (PDF 5.62 MB).

Watch the Zoom recording on YouTube.

Part 2: Pricing & commissions

Your pricing structure is a critical part of your business's success and working successfully with trade. In this session, you’ll walk away with a greater understanding of:

• Why we give commission.
• Rate parity.
• Establishing your retail rate: operating costs, commission, margin.
• Establishing a contract.
• Q&A's.

Download the Trade Readiness Module 2 presentation (PDF 3.41 MB).

Watch the Zoom recording on YouTube.

Part 3: Showcasing your product

Now you’ve got the fundamentals, it’s time to sell your wares and proactively engage with trade. In this session, you’ll walk away with a greater understanding of:

• Collateral requirements – manuals, fact sheets, image library etc.
• Trade events, trade shows and sales calls.
• The art of a good presentation.
• Website requirements.
• Direct connectivity.
• Local agents – isites and visitor centres.
• Working with TNZ and RTOs to maximise famils.
• Q&A's.

Download the Trade Readiness Module 3 presentation (PDF 4.65 MB).

Watch the Zoom recording on YouTube.

• Visit our Christchurch tourism research page for insights into visitor perceptions of sustainability in New Zealand and the Canterbury region, visitor trends, and reports.
• Utilise the Ōtautahi Christchurch toolkit for images, videos and resources to help you promote Christchurch as a place to visit.
• Download the upcoming industry events calendar 2025 (PDF 281 KB)

• Visit our Destination Partner Programme page to learn about the programme.