Tourism expo taps big money

New Zealand's largest tourism expo will be staged in Rotorua next week.

Millions of dollars in new tourism business is expected to be negotiated in Rotorua when the city hosts New Zealand's annual tourism trade show next week.

Trenz, the tourism industry's premier international trade show worth $30 billion, will be back at the Energy Events Centre from May 10 to 13.

Travel and tourism buyers from around the world will attend, and tens of millions of dollars worth of new tourism business will be negotiated during the event.

Destination Rotorua trade manager Patrick Dault said a positive experience for influential buyers could have a huge impact on the growth of Rotorua's visitor industry, the district's largest employer.

To ensure these key influencers make the most of their time in Rotorua, a number of local functions and activities have been arranged over the course of the expo to provide exposure to local tourism offerings and Rotorua's vibrant inner city, Mr Dault said.

Trenz brings together New Zealand tourism operators (exhibitors) with targeted international travel and tourism buyers, as well as media.

To put the value of Rotorua's visitor industry into perspective, a 2015 study of nine local hotels, published by the Rotorua Tourism Industry Association, showed that almost 60 per cent of their operating expenses and capital expenditure had links to the Rotorua community.

This amounted to more than $30 million per year, or $90,000 per day, being distributed among employees and being spent on locally supplied food and beverages, paid out to Rotorua contractors on repairs, capital expenditure or marketing, and funding local services.

Rotorua mayor Steve Chadwick said tourism is, and always has been, incredibly important to the district's economic sustainability.

"I know that the flow-on business created through Trenz will have a positive impact on our local tourism operators and our community," said Mrs Chadwick. "We are proud to host Trenz in Rotorua for the second year running.

"Rotorua is the heartland of cultural tourism, the established mecca for mountain-biking and the traditional home of natural hot springs and wellness, and this event gives our local tourism industry and community a wonderful chance to show international travel and tourism buyers the true meaning of manaakitanga."