Mr. Daniel Shields

"What is so satisfying about winning this particular award is that it is based purely on guest ratings," says Daniel Shields, Manager, Marketing and Sales for YHA New Zealand.

The NZBackpack.com industry group is a fabulous start and I can't applaud enough the work of Daniel Shields of YHA New Zealand for his work. However, I hope we can catch up quickly by learning many of the lessons from Australia. Julian for example stated that he did not believe the industry groups should be promoting a direct consumer portal as it is too hard to compete with the large commercial sites - I agree with this (despite the fact that I am paid to work on the BackpackingQueensland.com.au website) and think it is one of the hurdles we need to address in the NZ Backpacking Industry Group.

YHA New Zealand marketing manager Daniel Shields says a number of tourism operators complained about the story and called for a boycott of the December issue.He says they are still sensitive about hitchhiking after the murder of German tourist Birgit Brauer in Taranaki in 2005.

Mr Shields says TNT has asked its distributors to pull the magazine.

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Marketing Manager Daniel Shields says, "Qualmark means someone external looks at our business in a really critical and unbiased way.
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To Mr Shields this is another reason why the industry members need to take a step up in terms of quality.

YHA New Zealand marketing manager Daniel Shields said the fares were aimed at taking away the travel obstacles of Cook Strait and car hire.

Auckland's occupancy rate decreased 6.6 per cent from December 2003, YHA New Zealand marketing manager Daniel Shields said.

"In some gateway locations, the entry of new operators has dampened gains for all operators."

YHA New Zealand, with 60 hostels around the country had largely insulated itself by expanding into "heartland New Zealand", Mr Shields said.

"At the moment, pretty much any man Joe with a bunk room at the back of their house can call themselves a backpackers," said Youth Hostel Association New Zealand marketing manager Daniel Shields.

He said the need for a national standards-setting body - and mandatory registration with Qualmark, Tourism New Zealand's voluntary star-grading system - was crucial as more backpacker hostels opened, especially in Auckland where apartments were being sub-let to backpackers.

YHA's marketing manager Daniel Shields says the changing profile of backpackers has also meant a change in the facilities they expect.