Queenstown gets marketing boost

Destination Queenstown's new chief executive is hopeful $800,000 in funding will result in 11,000 more visitors to the resort.

Tony Everitt, who started work on Monday, said the funding from Tourism New Zealand would be used to get programmes into the Australian market to get more visitors to Queenstown before the end of winter.

The $800,000 was part of a $5 million tourism marketing pool announced by Tourism Minister John Key on January 21.

"It's a really decent amount considering the national pool was $5m, and shows the importance Queenstown rates," Mr Everitt said.

While new in the role, one of his priorities will be to develop a strategic business plan to take to board members.

"In the next few months we'll develop a strategic business plan that will start with where Queenstown will be in 2020.

Mr Everitt said Queenstown had weathered the global economic crisis relatively well.

"We've come through a fairly challenging year and Queenstown has done well in a difficult environment.

"We can now look at opportunities that will hopefully quite quickly replenish the coffers of the businesses and stakeholders around town," he said.

Mr Everitt said he was looking forward to marketing Queenstown to the rest of the world on a long-term scale.

"We have the pleasure to market some of the primary real estate for world tourism.

"Queenstown is a world icon and we've got to take both a long-term and short-term perspective to its marketing," he said.

"Businesses need cash to survive day to day. There is no long term if you don't get through the short term, and 2009 was a good demonstration of that, but we need to think about sustainability and the long term as well," he said.

- © Fairfax NZ News

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