Show puts Rotorua tourism in spotlight

FILE

New Zealand's largest tourism trade show begins in Auckland on Monday and Rotorua Daily Post senior reporter Matthew Martin will be there.

Almost 300 tourism and travel buyers from around the world and 260 of New Zealand's top tourism operators, including representatives from about 35 Rotorua-based attractions, will converge on The Cloud at Queen's Wharf from Monday to Wednesday for Trenz 2014.

The event is New Zealand's $24 billion tourism industry's largest annual international trade show.

The Rotorua Daily Post will interview Tourism New Zealand chief executive Kevin Bowler about what the Rotorua district can expect to see from the organisation in the future and a number of the region's tourism operators about their products and innovations.

Rotorua Tourism Committee acting chairman Bruce Thomasen recently told the Rotorua Daily Post the event allowed Rotorua operators to get in front of key travel wholesalers, inbound operators and product development managers.

"Essentially Trenz is the one place each year where the wider New Zealand tourism industry comes together to 'sell its wares' to international buyers whom are hand-picked by the likes of Tourism New Zealand for their propensity to not only sell New Zealand, but also add real value to New Zealand's tourism offering globally," he said.

Tourism Industry Association communications manager Ann-Marie Johnson said 85 per cent of buyers at last year's event said it was more important than any other marketing and purchasing activities they undertook.

"Buyers are coming from 30 countries to attend Trenz, including traditional visitor markets such as Australia, the UK and the US, and newer markets where New Zealand tourism is targeting high-value visitors, such as Brazil and Indonesia," she said.

Destination Rotorua Marketing representatives will also attend the event.