KiaOraMai Essential Skills

What does ‘kia ora mai’ mean?

‘Kia ora mai’ means ‘be well here – in the direction/vicinity towards the speaker’.
‘Kia ora mai’ means conveying a genuine care and willingness to bring our best to how we engage with others. By asking others to ‘be well in the vicinity of the speaker’ we hold the expectation that others will bring with them good attitudes and feelings and a willingness to engage in a harmonious way. It can also be expected that as hosts, we will reciprocate those same feelings towards anyone we engage with and exceed their expectations.  It embraces the concept of manaakitanga (hospitality), one of the values central to the New Zealand Tourism Strategy 2015.

KiaOraMai Essential Skills is the new entry-level standard training programme for employees working with visitors and customers across the tourism and services industries, including hospitality, accommodation, travel and transport, tourism events and activities, retail, hairdressing, beauty and spa.

Recognised industry programme   

Launched by the Tourism Industry Association New Zealand (TIA) and the Services Industries Training Alliance (SITA) on 22 October 2009, the programme is linked to unit standards on the National Qualifications Framework, offering a career path for employees and a starting point for further training.

KiaOraMai provides employers with a programme that helps them train and retain people who can deliver a unique and memorable New Zealand visitor experience.

The tourism industry and wider services sector are major contributors to the New Zealand economy and people are the sector’s major asset. Having well trained, professional staff with the right skills and attitude is critical.

Lasting benefits

KiaOraMai will increase the economic benefits of major events such as Rugby World Cup 2011, and establish a legacy that will provide lasting benefits to the economy.                                                                                         

The programme features on and off-the-job training and has been developed with industry input. It covers a broad range of skills such as customer service, personal presentation, managing customer complains, knowledge of New Zealand tourism features, activities and events.

It also embraces the value of manaakitanga (hospitality), which is all about ensuring visitors enjoy a unique and memorable New Zealand holiday.

Rugby World Cup 2011 target

The target is to have 7000 to 10,000 trainees complete the KiaOraMai Essential Skills programme by the Rugby World Cup kick off in Auckland in September 2011.

KiaOraMai is a cross-industry initiative, developed by TIA and the Services Industries Training Alliance, with funding from the Ministry of Tourism and Te Puni Kokiri. For more information see www.kiaoramai.co.nz.