Prime Minister John Key will make a major tourism announcement on Thursday, with the local industry hoping he will provide a critical boost during the global downturn.
Mr Key, who is also Tourism Minister, will speak at the industry's biggest annual event, Trenz 2009.
He told reporters yesterday he would be making "a reasonably significant tourism-based announcement" at the conference.
More than 250 international travel and tourism buyers and 270 local tourism operators are taking part in the conference which opened yesterday and runs until Thursday.
Buyers will be looking to negotiate agreements on accommodation, transport, tours and activities they could sell to their clients over the next two or three seasons, said Tourism Industry Association chief executive Tim Cossar.
"These buyers represent a significant proportion of international tourism business to New Zealand so they will have a considerable influence over the future of our industry during these challenging economic times," he told NZPA.
The buyers involved are from 28 countries, including all New Zealand's major visitor markets such as China, United States, Britain, Australia and Japan.
Members of the tourism industry in this country will also have a chance to make contact with 30 international media representatives.
