Close to 1,000 members of the incentive, conference and corporate meetings community have been mixing, mingling and doing business at the new Te Pae Christchurch Convention Centre this week.

Attendees at MEETINGS 2022 (organised by Business Events Industry Aotearoa) included about 100 delegates from Australia as well as conference and event organisers, suppliers and media from all over New Zealand.

Tourism New Zealand chief executive René de Monchy notes that business events will play a crucial role in tourism’s future. ‘Both conference and incentive delegates are among the highest quality visitors New Zealand can attract.'

This year is the first time in 14 years that the event has been held in Christchurch.

• Jess Ogg, Event Travel Management;... Jess Ogg, Event Travel Management;...
• James Chatterley, Event Dynamics; Sarah... James Chatterley, Event Dynamics; Sarah...
• Tania Rook, Trina Edwards, Lynn... Tania Rook, Trina Edwards, Lynn...
• Victoria Wales HOT Events; Dorothy... Victoria Wales HOT Events; Dorothy...
• Jason Hill, Tourism Talent; Lisa... Jason Hill, Tourism Talent; Lisa...
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Tourism New Zealand will retain a strong focus on the domestic market even as the country opens its borders to offshore visitors, says the organisation’s chief executive René de Monchy.

Speaking at last week’s TRENZ Hui for the tourism industry, de Monchy noted that Kiwis can now look overseas but said the commitment to the market continues to pay off and evolve.

There is a marked shift in the attitude of New Zealanders to see the New Zealand border open sooner, according to the latest KANAR survey released this week by Tourism New Zealand.

Researched in October, the survey shows that 57% of the 1,200 plus respondents would ‘prefer the NZ borders to open sooner to a limited number of low-risk countries to help the economy, with safety measures in place.’ This is up from 49% in the same survey in July 2021.

Tourism New Zealand has announced the details of its next domestic campaign, ‘Families’.

The campaign’s ‘launch date is pending Covid alert levels, its currently scheduled for 1 March but subject to change. It will specifically highlight the many domestic activities and holidays families can undertake here
in New Zealand.

Australians are ready to head to New Zealand in numbers that far exceed pre-Covid times once they are able to do so, according to figures released by Tourism New Zealand.

Obviously partly driven by limited choice, but also positive feelings towards this country’s handling of Covid-19, some 2.3 million Australians would be likely to head over the Tasman in the first six months of lifted restrictions, data suggests.