Tough markets challenging New Zealand tourism operators make the Tourism Rendezvous New Zealand (Trenz) especially important, the manager of the trade show says.
On the eve of the most significant and lucrative annual international trade event on the New Zealand tourism industry calendar, Tourism Industry Association (TIA) chief executive Tim Cossar said Trenz this year was even more critical, in terms of the opportunities for domestic operators to promote products to more than 300 influential international travel buyers and media.
The four-day event, being held in Queenstown for the first time, begins tomorrow. It has attracted 292 travel and tourism buyers from all over the world and 280 New Zealand exhibitors, including about 50 Southern Lakes tourism operators. About 60 national and international media representatives are attending.
Exhibitors are based in the Queenstown Events Centre and in an adjacent 900-person marquee.
Mr Cossar told the Otago Daily Times the converging series of national and international natural disasters in the past few months had created "very big tests" for New Zealand tourism. Yet tourism had the Sars virus and bird flu emergencies thrown at it in the past and survived, he said.
Mr Cossar said the fundamental reason why Trenz chose Queenstown, instead of traditional venues in Auckland, Rotorua or Christchurch, was to stand alone from Trenz' usual partner event, the Australian Tourism Exchange.
"We've certainly got more buyers registered than we did last year, which is encouraging, and certainly there hasn't been a lack of visitor interest."
The Southern Lakes venue also enabled travel buyers and media to experience many tourism products first-hand. Windows in the programme allowed for familiarisations, he said.
Prime Minister and Tourism Minister John Key was scheduled speak to media at the show on Wednesday.
When asked if the TIA would take the opportunity to urge Mr Key to help the industry in this election year, Mr Cossar said the association was working on its election manifesto, to be released before the poll on November 26.
"One of the key things the industry would generally get in behind is that Tourism New Zealand funding needs to be retained in a time when market forces are so competitive," Mr Cossar said.
