THL executives resign amid company restructuring

Wednesday, 17 June 2020

Job cuts are on the cards at THL, which operates the Waitomo Glowworm Caves among other attractions.

Two top executives at Tourism Holdings have resigned as the company continues to adjust to closed borders.

Chief financial officer Jennifer Bunbury and chief operating officer Jo Allison have both handed in their notice, Allison because she is moving to Christchurch.

THL's chief executive Grant Webster said Bunbury had been with the company since January last year and Allison had been on the staff for five years. They would leave around September.

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THL is in the process of reviewing its operational and financial management structures as the flow of foreign tourists has all but shut off by border restrictions.

The company, which is now pivoting around the domestic tourist market, said last month it was consulting on 140 job losses, including those at its Waitomo Caves attractions.

Earlier this month the company said it had seen a big resurgence in rentals as lockdowns eased in all its three markets, New Zealand, Australia and the US.

But historically 90 per cent of its New Zealand rentals revenue had come from international tourism. It expected a proposed trans-Tasman travel bubble would positive for the New Zealand business, with Australians being a quarter of all its customers.

Discover Waitomo had partially reopened, with a small tour capacity but its Kiwi Experience hop on-hop off bus service continued to be ''in hibernation''.