Todd Muller speaks about apprenticeships in New Zealand.
Up-and-down occupancy rates and quarantine hotels were among the topics thrown at National leader Todd Muller when he met with tourism leaders in Rotorua today
Tourism leaders did not hold back, expressing concerns around a "detonated" events industry, freedom camping and other topical issues.
Todd McClay, who has been Rotorua'sMP for more than a decade, joined his party leader Muller, who is also the MP for the Bay of Plenty.
He said he was aware of local hotels being taken up for "several months" with demand exceeding supply.
He wanted money pumped into the "detonated" events industry as it was the best way to "drive visitation" to the city, he said.
He said there were a good 300 people coming out of isolation every fortnight but it was near impossible to keep those visitors here.
"They just want to get home."
Quest Rotorua director Glenn Tasker said he had been approached by the Defence Force twice about using his accommodation for returning travellers to isolate.
He said he rejected them but felt like there was a major "undersupply" and the whole thing was tarnishing the city's brand.
Muller backed up McClay's negative view on people quarantining in Rotorua as a tourist town.
He said the reports of quarantine escapees were knocking the Rotorua community's confidence and the process needed to be better managed.
Holiday Inn general manager Kent Breeze said he wanted support when it came to managing insecure occupancy rates.
He said during holidays and long weekends they were full, but on the off days they were operating at only 12 per cent.
This was a huge strain when it came to managing staff numbers and staying above water.
Muller acknowledged the "incredibly tough" position providers were finding themselves in and turned it back to boosting local events to fill the off-peak.
Many local accommodation providers wanted something done about offshore booking agencies taking huge cuts of income when locals booked with them.
One provider said it was becoming "impossible to compete".
Patchell Group founder Ian Patchell met with Todd Muller and Todd McClay to discuss how business was coping. Photo / File
After the tourism meeting, Muller and McClay visited Patchell Group director Ian Patchell to discuss how the business was coping. They then met with business leaders about the Covid-19 recovery.
In the afternoon, they met with about 40 other Rotorua business owners at Distinction Hotel.
One attendee asked the pair about the future of apprenticeship training sites and resources.
Muller said the connectedness between training organisations such as Toi Ohomai and their communities was essential.
He opposed the Government's plans to centralise industry training in Wellington, and said it would be "stripping all local control".
