Tourism New Zealand is showcasing New Zealand to India this week, hosting a group of key Indian travel industry leaders, with the aim to significantly grow visitor numbers in line with its emerging growth markets strategy.
Highlighting New Zealand’s high-end accommodation, restaurants and attractions, the week-long tour will explore both islands, visiting Wellington, Christchurch, Queenstown, Milford Sound and Auckland. The visit began yesterday at Auckland International Airport with a VIP welcome followed by a powhiri at Te Manukanuka o Hoturoa Marae.
India has been identified by Tourism New Zealand as an emerging market providing enormous opportunity for New Zealand, with its strong economy leading to a growth in personal spending and outbound travel.
Tourism New Zealand’s Regional Manager of South and South East Asia, Mischa Mannix-Opie, says the visit is part of Tourism New Zealand’s work to build both awareness and travel connections to New Zealand, to accelerate the growth of quality visitor arrivals.
“We see this famil as an opportunity to showcase New Zealand in a modern and refreshed way, to help ignite these industry leaders interest in developing new itineraries to sell destination New Zealand to their customers,” she says.
The famil is being co-hosted by Azahar Hamid, the Regional Senior Vice President of South Asia and Middle East for Malaysia Airlines. Malaysia Airlines have provided business class seats for all participants on their flights to and from New Zealand.
The five travel company CEOs, three of whom have never visited New Zealand before, are accompanied by a journalist who will write about their visit for a leading Indian travel publication.
Last night the party were hosted at Parliament Buildings in Wellington by the Associate Minister of Tourism Chris Tremain. Today they visited Weta Workshop before travelling onto Christchurch. From there they will head to Queenstown and Milford Sound, before heading back to Auckland to experience Waiheke Island.
