New Zealand would benefit from cross-promotional tourism campaigns with Australia, according to Tourism Holdings.

At the company’s annual meeting yesterday, chief executive Grant Webster said New Zealand and Australia were working together on areas including border control, but this could be taken further.

After the meeting, he said the two countries should be staging global campaigns.

Tourism Holdings is forecasting a $1 million net loss to break even first half result but has no guidance for the full year.

However, at the company’s annual meeting yesterday, chairman Keith Smith said it would resume dividend payments towards the end of the 2010 calendar year if early signs of improvement continued.

“The recovery curve for the tourism industry is still uncertain,” he said.

Tourism Holdings has become the latest company to announce a pay freeze, continuing a recent run of bad news for the business.

The freezing of base wages and salaries for all staff was being made “in light of the current economic climate”, the company said.

Chief executive Grant Webster said, “The near term impacts on the tourism sector have been well publicised.

“The coming summer is, at best, showing no indication of being any better than the last.

Tourism Holdings has confirmed today that 64 jobs will go at its Hamilton-based manufacturing business Caravans International Munro due to shrinking demand.

The business is bleeding money; in the six months to December Ci Munro reported a loss of $3.2 million.

Tourism Holdings responded by cutting 20 jobs at Ci Munro in February but the worsening outlook for the industry meant more drastic action needed to be taken.

Tourism Holdings chief executive Grant Webster made the announcement today after a meeting with workers and union representatives yesterday.

Trevor Hall is vacating his seat as the boss of Tourism Holdings after just over two years in the role.

He is being succeeded by Grant Webster, who is currently chief operating
officer of the company’s tourism leisure division.

Mr Hall said he is quitting Tourism Holdings because of a requirement to spend more time managing family business interests overseas.
A former chief executive of the Lotteries Commission, he started at Tourism Holdings in June 2006.

At that time, the THL share price was hovering around $1.70.