QHA-Review_July_digital

FEATURE
WHERE LIFE TAKES YOU
WITH THE MERGING OF THE ACCOMMODATION ASSOCIATION OF AUSTRALIA (AAOA)
AND TOURISM ACCOMMODATION AUSTRALIA (TAA) FINALLY HERE, WE SAT DOWN
WITH ONE OF THE KEY INSTIGATORS BEHIND IT ALL.
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As the CEO of both the TAA and the new peak
industry body – Accommodation Australia, Michael
Johnson sure has a lot of things on his plate, but said
he is quite thrilled with his new position, and that it was
very humbling to get through the process.
“The first opportunity to join the association came up
about four years ago. I had just finished doing the
redevelopment of Parkroyal out of Parramatta, so I
thought it was such a great chance after so many
years in the industry. I had been associated with the
Australian Hotels Association (AHA) before, as an
executive and on the New South Wales board, so the
opportunity to actually take the CEO role for TAA was
just a great transition for me.
“These roles give you the opportunity to really benefit
the industry as a whole. You get to have all of these
connections to members and find out what is keeping
them awake at night so you can make a difference.
I have to say, it was a bit of an initiation by fire, that’s
for sure, because I’d only been in the job for about six
months when we got hit by a pandemic and started
closing things up,” he said.
As someone who has over 35 years of experience
managing 5-star business hotels, resorts and tourist
attractions across two countries, you could say
Michael sports an in-depth understanding of the
hospitality industry. Hailing from Sydney, his invaluable
international insights, industry knowledge and skills
have helped give the Australian accommodation
industry the best possible representation at all levels of
government.
Preceeding all of that, however, Michael said his
beginnings with the industry goes right back to the
Southern Pacific Hotel Corporation in the 70s and 80s,
where he started as a trainee washing dishes who had
no idea where his life could possibly take him.
“I effectively worked my way through the hotel
departments, and it was after I’d been there for a few
years that the general manager asked what I intended
to do when I got out of there. I said I would probably
have to go back to work, but then he said ‘Why don’t
you call this work? I haven’t worked a day since I’ve
been here, I’m just loving it.’ So he put me through
an official traineeship, and I came out of it as a duty
manager and then worked my way from food and
beverage manager up to the general manager.
“I was managing hotels in my early 30s. I did that
for many years, and look, I was blessed. I managed
some great hotels, from corporate venues to resorts in
Brisbane City and right across Queensland. I managed
Travelodge and Royal on the Park for a short period of
time in addition to the Dockside Park Royal back in the
early 90s. I also crossed the ditch a lot and managed
hotels in Christchurch, New Zealand too,” he said.
For Michael, and many others in the accommodation
industry, it has been a long personal ambition
to see one united voice speaking for Australia’s
accommodation sector. The excitement has been
palpable for the amalgamation of AAoA and TAA.
A merger between the major national industry bodies
has been attempted multiple times over the years,
which is why, after years of organisation, finally
having a peak industry body representing Australia’s
economically important accommodation sector has
been met with a collective sigh of relief. Michael said
that the progression has been fantastic, and he still
pinches himself that the amalgamation has finally been
achieved.