A touch of the Wendy Wu Tours’ international experience combined with a ‘behind the scenes’ look at New Zealand provide a point of difference for the company’s just launched domestic programme, says managing director Paul Dymond.

‘We didn’t want to put something into the market that was already there,’ says Dymond. ‘These are fully inclusive tours aimed specifically at the Wendy Wu customer – and we’ve got hundreds of

What started as a ‘crisis project’ for Asian specialist Active Asia, has become an integral part of what the company does, says Valentina Mould-Morelli, creative director and marketing.

‘New Zealand is the natural world we call home and it will still cause clients to catch their breath.

‘Despite the plethora of competition out there selling New Zealand, we felt there was still space for something new.’

A company which has been offering global trips to women for the past 13 years is currently putting together excursions in New Zealand and has already had its first such trip sell out.

Julie Paterson, founder of Venus Adventures, says she was stranded in New Zealand (she usually lives in Egypt to be close to her global destinations) and she has had to do a ‘quick pivot’.

Wild Earth Travel has a limited, two cabins only offer for a Sub Antarctic Islands cruise on board PONANT’s Le Bellot.

Departing 29 December 2020 and 8 February 2021, the 15-day cruise is priced at $13,495pp (down from $18,205).

Departing Auckland, Le Bellot sails to the Bounty Islands, Antipodes Islands, Campbell Island, Auckland Islands, Macquarie Island and The Snares before passengers disembark in Dunedin.

AIM Holidays has expanded its domestic product range to keep up with anticipated demand for domestic travel, says reservations manager Jay Soysa.

AIM Holidays has operated in the domestic market for over five years and to date the concentration has been on short-stay packages in the main cities, packages with a show or event ticket or overnight stays at Auckland Airport.

ANZCRO Connect has already generated considerable interest amongst the trade in New Zealand but this is set to increase with the current focus on domestic and, as a next step, trans Tasman travel, says the company’s managing director Nick Guthrey.

The specially designed agents’ portal allows travel agents to search, quote and book all of ANZCRO’s product from one platform. It can also be used to create an entire New Zealand itinerary.

Offering ‘out of the way places’ and special experiences that clients would find dificult to access under their own steam, is one of the keys to MoaTours’ operations says founder Ena Hutchinson.

The specialist in small group tours for mature travellers also offers opportunities for travel agents and brokers as the country sets its sights on opening up domestic tourism.

Three new, ‘off-grid’ trips focused on local and authentic New Zealand experiences have been released by Contiki for 2020-21.

The last ship of the 2016-17 cruise season set sail out of the Bay of Islands yesterday.
Oceania’s Sirena was the last of 41 ships from 22 cruise lines to visit New Zealand this season, Cruise New Zealand executive officer Kevin O’Sullivan says.

A world first extreme adventure activity, operators taking visitors off the beaten track and an upscale hotel returning to Christchurch are among the new tourism products that will be on show at TRENZ 2017.
TRENZ, the $35 billion New Zealand tourism industry trade show, will run from 9 to 12 May, and will be attended by 370 international trade and tourism buyers and 300 Kiwi tourism operators.