Millbrook Resort has recorded its busiest January, hosting almost 300 Amway distributors and staff.
The visitors are estimated to have poured $1.3 million into the local economy over a two-week period.
And if advance bookings for the resort are anything to go by, 2010 could be a record year for the resort.
The four VIP groups of distributors, who stayed at Millbrook in two waves over the fortnight, were each at Millbrook for five days, enjoying welcome functions complete with a haka, golf on Millbrook's championship course, treatments at The Spa at Millbrook and gala dinners at The Hills, with presentations by Peter Hillary and performances from international singer Hayley Westenra.
The groups, which included the top 300 achievers in Japan and the top achiever in the world, were reported to be thrilled with the world-class facilities and enjoyed exploring the wider Queenstown region.
During their visit, the Amway delegates experienced scenic heli-flights, trips to Milford Sound, bungy jumping and a full range of adventure activities and shopping.
Millbrook General Manager David Onions estimated the groups would have brought about $1.3 million of business to Millbrook and Queenstown.
"Hosting the Amway delegates is a significant boost for the Queenstown tourism economy, at a time when Japanese visits to New Zealand have been in decline.
"The calibre of this group and the fact that they chose Millbrook, following two years of discussion with our C and E [conference and events] team and Japanese sales manager Yoji Kimura of Japan Connect NZ, reinforces Millbrook's five-star brand and the range of venues and open space available here."
Millbrook conference and events sales manager Karen Whittaker said the resort already had more confirmed business for 2010 than for the whole of 2009.
"On top of that, we are still getting plenty of short-lead inquiries.
"Continued investment in the resort is helping to keep it at the top of its game on local, national and international levels."
Japanese Amway distributors have previously stayed at Burj Al Arab, in Dubai, the renowned Waldorf Astoria, in New York, and the Empire Hotel, in Brunei.
To top off their Queenstown experience, each distributor was given local pounamu and a bottle of New Zealand wine.
Founded more than 50 years ago, Amway is a major global direct-selling company.
It distributes more than 450 million health, beauty and household products through a network of more than 3.5 million independent business owners.