The Champagne flowed and records were set at the House of Travel conference in Wellington at the weekend—as the retail brand outlined some ambitious growth plans for the future.
Buoyed by national service and workplace awards 660 ‘hotties’ from across the business, and suppliers, attended the Wellington event which included an update on its strategic three-year plan, a record number of supplier prizes and a sneak peek into how the brand is embracing technology. Collectively the group’s business units on both sides of the Tasman sold $2.3 billion worth of travel in 2024—and ceo Dave Coombes (pictured) is picking another record year for the company in 2025. A year into his tenure as head of the chain, Coombes says he continues to be amazed by the strong demand ‘which is showing no sign whatsoever of tapering off’ as well as the ‘incredible’ HoT culture. “It’s a really big organisation with lofty goals and massive amounts of opportunity…we’ve had a fantastic year.”
. . . The Plan
HoT’s three-year plan includes a host of innovations to make sure HoT continues to grow and thrive, Coombes told those at the conference. “It’s all about using our scale to drive efficiency and simplify our operations but without losing the individuality that makes each of our brands and businesses so successful.” Consultant productivity and customer satisfaction remain core to the three-year plan. The HoT board has signed off on millions of dollars of investment, Coombes says, to take the business to the next level. Planned tech-based initiatives include developing an itinerary, trip planning and booking tool along with a new AI-backed ‘HoT brain’. “And that’s where we collect all your knowledge and tips and make it accessible to everybody in the business to make us the brainiest travel business out there,” Coombes told those at the conference.
. . . More Shops
As its affiliated broker businesses GTN and Wanderlust continue to go from strength to strength, Coombes says the company will concentrate on further building on the HoT brand—including plans to grow its Kiwi bricks and mortar footprint. At the same time Coombes says the Orbit brand is expanding its market share. See upcoming issues for more on the HoT plans.
