Destination Queenstown hosts VIP dinner for China Exchange

Wednesday, 17 October 2018, 9:02 am
Press Release: Destination Queenstown

A heritage residence in Shanghai’s Former French Concession was the stage where the Destination Queenstown China Tourism Exchange delegation hosted 90 VIP travel industry partners last night.

Destination Queenstown, in partnership with Air New Zealand, hosted a VIP dinner in Shanghai—the world’s biggest city—to showcase Queenstown as a premium four-season destination in New Zealand, the first of two events in China as part of the regional tourism organisation’s inaugural China Tourism Exchange.

A select group of key trade and premium travel partners joined the Exchange delegation of ‘New Zealand and Queenstown Inc.’ businesses, alongside Queenstown Mayor Jim Boult and Karen Boult in Shanghai on 16 October to get a personal taste of Queenstown’s premium experiences throughout the evening.

The event, held at 55 Wulumuqi Road in the center of Shanghai, with a showcase of New Zealand food and wine and a performance by the Modern Maori Quartet. Coveted as a high-end venue, the address was the perfect stage to host Queenstown’s travel industry connections, and forge new relationships in this important market.

The FFC showcases a distinctly Shanghainese culture of dining, entertainment, and shopping permeating the leafy streets, and some of the city’s top events are held in this enclave.

The China Tourism Exchange is also the launch event for Destination Queenstown’s new winter strategy in China, encouraging travel during winter and educate the industry on the different ways to experience Queenstown during our ski season.

China’s snowboarding legend Wang Lei was a guest at the Shanghai event, he shared his experiences training in the Southern Lakes with attendees and local Chinese travel trade media.

Destination Queenstown chief executive Graham Budd says the evening was an opportunity for our two cultures to mix and share with each other, with a view to building lasting relationships as well as showcasing Queenstown’s wide appeal as a visitor destination.

“As the hosts of the first in-market event to celebrate the China New Zealand Year of Tourism in 2019, we are delighted to bring our two unique cultures together in Shanghai for an evening of cultural exchange.

“Travel is a great creator of friendships, and this Exchange will help further the work that our operators are already undertaking in this important market to promote Queenstown’s four-season premium experience, from activities to accommodation and sightseeing products.

“We also welcome the performance by the Modern Maori Quartet at this event—it was important for us to showcase Aotearoa’s culture in Shanghai, as we know that performance and theatre are incredibly important aspects of Chinese hospitality, and we wanted to reflect that this evening,” he says.

The event was made possible with generous support from Air New Zealand and Tourism New Zealand.

Representatives from Immigration New Zealand, the New Zealand Consul-General and NZTE also attended.

Details
What: DQ China Tourism Exchange VIP Dinner
When: 16 October, 2018
Where: Shanghai, China

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