James Beech

The incumbent marketing general manager of Destination Queenstown has been appointed to the top job of chief executive.

Trenz 2012 ended for 1000 delegates with a huge farewell party encompassing all ground-floor eateries and bars at the Steamer Wharf and on TSS Earnslaw on Thursday night. The four-day travel trade show provided a wealth of new tourism industry information. James Beech gives the third and final report on highlights of the event.

The world's eyes will be on New Zealand over the next 24 months, thanks to The Hobbit; and it is time to promote the country as the place to visit, do business and shoot more films on location, Tourism New Zealand says.

No new information on the fate of missing skipper Bruce Gordon (42) and crew member Darren Allen (37), or what happened to their crayfishing boat, K-Cee, came to light yesterday, police in Te Anau said last night.

Prime Minister and Tourism Minister John Key has today rejected ''facts'' used by the father of a Fox Glacier plane crash victim to claim in an internet campaign New Zealand as unsafe for tourists.

People in the street, business operators behind counters and colleagues in the fishing industry yesterday spoke quietly about the two men missing off Doubtful Sound.

It is "totally unacceptable" for adventure tourism operators to have drugs and alcohol in their systems, Prime Minister John Key said in Queenstown yesterday.

A trio of acclaimed musicians and an opera singer will perform in a concert for the St Peter's Church Organ Fund tomorrow night.

About 1000 delegates begin to head home today after Trenz 2012. It was deemed a success by many on the "ground floor" of the prominent international travel trade show in Queenstown. James Beech reports some of the highlights.

Today 7pm: Queenstown singer-pianist-trumpeter Alastair Monteath covers traditional jazz favourites for the Friday Jazz Club in Les Alpes. Free.

Visit China, meet travel sellers, work with Destination Queenstown and get on the learning curve for the growing Chinese tourism market, is the advice for Queenstown operators from Tourism New Zealand.

Chinese and Asian tourism markets are expected to overtake Western markets in importance to New Zealand in 10 years' time, Tourism New Zealand says.

New Zealand's tourism industry and its associates opened the flood gates of announcements capitalising on Trenz 2012 in Queenstown this week. James Beech reports the highlights.

The Stroke Foundation of New Zealand will offer free blood-pressure tests to the public outside Wakatipu New World on Saturday, as part of its fourth national blood-pressure awareness campaign.

Day-to-day operations and plans for the founding winery in Gibbston valley will not change now its biggest shareholder has gained approval from the Overseas Investment Office (OIO) to take a 100% shareholding.

Appointment schedules are fully booked and the quality of influential travel buyers has never been better, as Destination Queenstown, Discover Arrowtown, Lake Wanaka Tourism and more than 300 fellow exhibitors get down to business for the first day of Trenz today.

About 1000 national and international travel buyers, tourism operators and media representatives will descend on Queenstown today for the big Trenz travel trade expo.