NZHOA appoint Executive Director

The newly formed New Zealand Hotel Owners Association (NZHOA) has appointed experienced PR strategist Amy Robens to be its Executive Director.

NZHOA Chairperson, Lani Hagaman of Scenic Hotel Group, New Zealand’s largest independently owned and operated hotel group, says Robens is an ideal fit for the organisation.

"We have been working with Amy during our set-up phase and know she has the energy, insights and skillset to drive our organisation forward. She will be a tireless advocate for our cause and we are delighted to have her on board."

Amy Robens started her career more than 20 years ago as a journalist before moving into public relations and stakeholder management, both here and in the United Kingdom.

She has worked alongside multinationals, iconic Kiwi companies, startups, entrepreneurs and not-for-profits and has experience across a broad range of industries including tourism, technology, health, retail and economic development.

Robens has worked extensively in both the public and private sector advising and supporting organisations such as Economic Development New Zealand (EDNZ), Tourism Victoria, First Travel Group and Disneyland Paris.

"It’s an exciting time to be involved in the tourism sector with hotel owners a key enabler of sector growth, supporting New Zealand’s reputation as a high value destination for visitors. This is particularly important as we head into the 36th America’s Cup and Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) in 2021," Amy Robens says.

"Hotel owners have been at the forefront of establishing tourism opportunities in areas well before they became tourist hotspots, and they continue to reinvest to support not just international and domestic visitors, but also a range of New Zealand businesses.

"They play a significant role in the wellbeing of our economy and I’m really looking forward to working collaboratively with a range of stakeholders to represent hotel owners across public policy areas from tourism to general business and environmental issues," she says.

"This is an exciting challenge and one I’m going to relish," Robens says.

NZHOA held its official launch in Wellington last week attended by around 80 business leaders, politicians and tourism industry representatives.