Tourism Industry Gathers For Millennium Conference

The tourism industry meets this week for its biggest ever conference, with 11 tourism industry organisations coming together in Wellington for three days, to focus on the conference theme - "New Millennium, New Horizons."

Tourism Industry Association New Zealand (TIA) Chief Executive Glenys Coughlan says that the conference will look at the challenges ahead for New Zealand's fastest growing industry.

"Tourism has seen huge growth in recent years, and now accounts for one in every 12 jobs in New Zealand, and is our biggest export earner. This conference is aimed at getting the industry looking forward, prepared to face the challenges that the new millennium will present.

"We have a range of highly provocative and interesting speakers, including the President of the World Travel and Tourism Council, Jean Claude Baumgarten, and the Managing Director of the Australian Tourist Commission John Morse.

"Tourism New Zealand will give an update on their international marketing campaign "100% Pure", a year on from its launch at last years tourism conference in Queenstown." ??./more

Ms Coughlan said that key announcements at the conference would include new forecasts of international tourism growth and how much tourism is worth to New Zealand, as well as the results of the first survey in 10 years on the size of the domestic travel market. The next phase of the tourism strategy, being developed jointly between the industry and government will also be announced.

The Prime Minister Helen Clark will open the conference on Thursday and the Tourism Minister Mark Burton will close it on Friday afternoon.

The Conference ends with the announcement of the winners of the New Zealand Tourism Awards on Friday evening.

ENDS

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