This was the third stop on the nationwide tour, following well-attended events in Tauranga and Hamilton.
Jeeyoon Lee from Korea Tourism Organization (KTO) says Asia Now has provided a solid platform to meet and talk with agents in the regions, as well as Auckland at a time when South Korea continues to record steady growth in visitor numbers from New Zealand.
‘It has been so nice to collectively promote Asia as a group,’ said Alita Holdaway from Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO). ‘It’s also been great to see how appreciative agents in the smaller regions have been.’
There were seven presentations in total – from Wendy Wu Tours, Exotic Holidays and FTM (representing Windstar Cruises), plus KTO, JNTO, Air New Zealand, and China Airlines, each highlighting their latest offerings. It’s clear Asia as a whole remains a popular destination for New Zealanders, with new products continually coming online.
Vivian Yu from China Airlines has been highlighting increased Oceania flights from 25 October 2026 to 27 March 2027. Sydney will move to daily flights, Melbourne from four times a week to five, and Brisbane from five to six (Auckland will remain the same for the moment).
Samantha Martin from Wendy Wu Tours says the delegation is now looking forward to heading south and networking and connecting with even more agents.
After Christchurch this evening, Asia Now will be in Wellington tomorrow before wrapping up in Hawke’s Bay on Thursday.
By Alexia Santamaria
