Proposed Queentown move welcomed

SHANE COWLISHAW/The Southland Times

TALKING IT UP: Venture Southland tourism marketing manager Lisa Buckingham (left), ILT marketing executive Nikki Buckley, ILT sales and marketing manager Gary Muir and Venture Southland tourism marketing co-ordinator Kerryn Smith at the Southland booth at Trenz in Auckland.

Related Links

Summer flight capacity to be doubled Extra flights may be added to

Relevant offers

High costs are keeping Southland tourism operators away from the biggest industry conference in New Zealand but a possible move to Queenstown next year would make it easier, Venture Southland said.

The 2010 Trenz tourism conference in Auckland features more than 250 exhibitors pitching their products and destinations to potential overseas buyers, but only two booths are from Southland.

One of these is the region's promotional arm, Venture Southland, and the other is the ILT. They are the province's only regular attendees at the massive event.

Venture Southland tourism marketing manager Lisa Buckingham said Trenz was an expensive event to attend, with tourist operators having to travel the length of the country and pay for accommodation and food as well as the fee to run a booth. "Generally, people have told us it's a cost issue," she said.

Previously, some operators attended one year but had not returned and, while that had its benefits, the real value from the event often came from building relationships and contacts over time.

Venture Southland was handing out online trade manuals on USB sticks this year that could be updated easily and listed many operators in Southland.

Real Journeys also had a large presence and was active in promoting the region as well, she said.

If the rumours that Trenz would be held in Queenstown next year were true, then it would make things much more attractive for the smaller Southland tourism industry, Ms Buckingham said.

ILT sales and marketing manager Gary Muir, who is in attendance promoting the Ascot Hotel's new $3.5 million extension, said it would be great to have a stronger Southland presence at the event.

A regular attendee at Trenz since it first began, the trick was to familiarise buyers with the area and sell it to them first, then promote the product, he said.

If Trenz moved to Queenstown next year it would reduce travel costs for Southland operators but could push other costs up as the resort was expensive, Mr Muir said.

The big bonus of a move down south would be international buyers taking trips around Southland before and after the conference, he said.

- © Fairfax NZ News

Newest First

Oldest First