Media release

24 April 2013

Auckland secures major tourism event for second year

Auckland has been named the host region for TRENZ 2014, the tourism industry's biggest international marketing event, worth hundreds of millions of dollars to the country and over $2.34 million to Auckland.

Organised by the Tourism Industry Association New Zealand (TIA), TRENZ brings together hundreds of international travel buyers from around the globe to negotiate new business deals with New Zealand tourism operators.

At the conclusion of an exceptional TRENZ 2013 - which has been staged on Auckland's waterfront since Sunday - the host organisation ATEED (Auckland Tourism, Events and Economic Development) has secured the event for next year.

Auckland Mayor Len Brown said this is an endorsement of Auckland's growing confidence in its ability to host major international events.

Auckland's performance has been praised by TIA Chief Executive Martin Snedden.

"Auckland has really turned it on for us in 2013, with its vibrant culture and diverse region on show. It's great to be coming back next year and we look forward to working with the ATEED team again," says Mr Snedden.

ATEED Manager Tourism Jason Hill says the announcement caps off an amazing week and a strong summer season for Auckland, with the combination of record cruise ship visits and solid visitor nights.

"Auckland's tourism product offering has grown considerably in the last few years - we're focussed on marketing domestically and in our key offshore markets Australia and China and it's paying off," says Mr Hill.

Hosting TRENZ 2014 is not only another opportunity to promote these tourism products, it also allows the international Buyers and media to experience first hand the huge diversity that the Auckland region has to offer - and that is invaluable," he adds.

Auckland is consistently welcoming many more Chinese visitors, with the annual total leaping by 37 per cent to 193,000, at year end February 2013. Kiwis are also visiting Auckland in increasing numbers with domestic guest nights up 4.3 per cent to 3.6 million over the same period.

In addition Auckland is enjoying a record 2012/13 cruise season with 100 cruise ships bringing 178,000 passengers and 78,000 crew, resulting in a predicted injection of $114.9 million GDP into the region's economy.

Mr Hill says these results and securing TRENZ for a second year are further enhanced by the Government's recent announcement of increased funding for tourism.

"It's heartening to see New Zealand's commitment to investing in growing the tourism industry. As the country's major destination we look forward to working with our industry partners to capitalise on the opportunities this presents," he says.

ATEED - on behalf of Auckland Council - works to grow the overall visitor economy in line with the targets in its 10 year Auckland Visitor Plan. It aims to double the contribution from the visitor economy over the next 10 years, growing it from $3.33 billion in 2010 to $6 billion in 2021.

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