New Zealand’s tourism industry is hot news this week at TRENZ 2013 – Tourism Rendezvous New Zealand – in Auckland.
An illusion gallery, zipline tours high above the forest canopy, and Christchurch hotels are among the new and innovative New Zealand tourism products with a purpose to be on show to the world’s travel and tourism buyers.
And when you can’t make it to Auckland, Canadian tourism bloggers Ruth Atherley and Paul Holman are blogging to the remainder of the arena about what’s new and exciting in New Zealand.
Trenzblog.com is already live as Atherley and Holman have travelled through several New Zealand regions – Auckland, Wellington, Martinborough, Marlborough, Christchurch, Kaikoura – on their strategy to TRENZ.
TRENZblog may be updated several times an afternoon from the trade extravaganza with product news, and interviews with travel professionals, and tourism leaders. There’ll even be regular Twitter updates.
Tourism and hospitality
TRENZ – organised by New Zealand’s Tourism Industry Association (TIA) – is the $23.4 billion New Zealand tourism and hospitality industry’s main international showcase.
This year around 250 New Zealand tourism operators may be doing business with 290 international buyers.
These “influential” buyers expected to send “about 700,000 visitors to New Zealand over the approaching year – over half our holiday arrivals,” in line with TIA chief executive Martin Snedden.
“Tourism is a hugely competitive international business so it’s vital we show them fresh and exciting new products and visitor experiences.”
New tourism product
At TRENZ 2013, buyers will discover 52 new tourism products, including 16 tourism operators who’re exhibiting for the 1st time.
They include first-time TRENZ exhibitor Rotorua Canopy Tours, in business for only a year and hoping to make a good impression at the international buyers.
“We take visitors deep into pristine native bush where they experience 1.2km of ziplines, flying foxes, treetop swing bridges and treetop platforms. It’s a strong combination of adventure and conservation, something we are hoping will firmly establish us at the cutting edge of eco-tourism in New Zealand,” says director James Fitzgerald.
“Our goal for TRENZ is to make sure the market has a very good understanding of what we do – that we’re way over a zipline tour. We also need to show that Rotorua is stepping up with multiple new innovative businesses which are redefining what this destination offers.”
Accor Hotels rapidly developing New Zealand portfolio includes several new products including a brand new Sofitel for Wellington, and two new Christchurch hotels – the Novotel, scheduled to open in September 2013, and the Ibis which opened in September 2012.
Wanaka’s Puzzling World can be promoting its biggest project in over a decade – a NZ$2.5 million extension that features a gallery of illusionary sculptures. The Sculptillusion Gallery showcases over 20 large sculptures, artworks and displays within a structure that has “illusionary aspects – together with a wave ceiling and hanging waterfalls” incorporated into the design, says Puzzling World marketing manager Duncan Spear.
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