Australians catch on to advantages of conferencing in NZ

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Australians catch on to advantages of conferencing in New Zealand -----------------------------------------------------------------

New Zealand’s appeal to the Australian market as a destination for conferences and incentive events is soaring on the back of a favourable exchange rate and world-class facilities.

Latest tourism research figures released by the Ministry of Economic Development show that in the year ended January 2011 the number of Australians travelling to New Zealand for conferences, conventions or incentive events jumped to 37,392 – an increase of nearly 32% on the previous year.

Overall, in the year ended January 2011, more than 58,000 visitors came here to participate in business tourism events - up 25% on the 47,169 who came here the previous year.

Conventions & Incentives New Zealand (CINZ) chief executive Alan Trotter says the figures are testament to New Zealand’s growing reputation as an ideal place for corporates and associations to hold meetings and events.

“We’ve been working hard to promote New Zealand, particularly to the Australian market, and these figures suggest that work is paying off. Australia’s professional conference organisers and those who make the key decisions about meetings and incentive events are genuinely excited about the opportunities we can offer them.

“Last month when we were in Melbourne for AIME - the premier meetings and incentives event for the Asia Pacific region - we were overwhelmed by the level of interest expressed in our country and the thirst for knowledge about our culture, our scenery, and the venues and services we can offer,’’ Mr Trotter says.

“We’re very fortunate in this country to be blessed with some of the best scenery in the world and that is always going to make us an attractive destination. But on top of that we also have a fabulous array of meeting facilities, ranging from large convention centres to more intimate venues, a superb range of accommodation, excellent air access, great food and wine, and very talented people working in the C& I industry.

“All those factors, combined with our close proximity to the Australian eastern seaboard, make us a stand-out destination. We have always offered excellent value, and working in our favour at the moment is the exchange rate. The Australian dollar is worth nearly 30 per cent more than the New Zealand dollar so we represent exceptional value for money,’’ Mr Trotter says.

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