Winter Festival is Early Christmas for Local Queenstown Businesses

Friday June 26 2015

Local businesses in Queenstown are reporting excellent commercial results as the American Express Queenstown Winter Festival swings into a thrill-filled final three days.

Hotels are seeing up to 10% more visitors over previous months and retailers say there’s evidence of an increase in the average value of transactions during the 10 day Festival period. “We’re lucky in Queenstown that we’re popular all year round, but the Festival adds a huge, extra commercial kick at the start of winter” said Queenstown Chamber of Commerce CEO Ann Lockhart.

That’s a view echoed by Penny Clark who heads the local Queenstown hotel operators group. “We’re starting to see evidence of some visitors staying longer. Instead of just two nights they’ll stay for five or even seven nights and the Festival helps boost that trend.”

The Festival has been running for 41 years after starting life as a winter party for locals in what, back then, was somewhat unbelievably the quiet season. It’s now grown into a world class phenomenon involving over 50 events both up the local mountains and in the town centre. Managing the incredible complexity of the Festival has been a task shared between the Queenstown community and key sponsors such as American Express who have backed the event for the past 26 years.

“The festival presents a unique opportunity for us to have our brand front and centre at one of the top 10 festivals in the world” said Julie Nestor of American Express. “With the Queenstown festival we’re able to try new activations and test new ideas that we simply can’t do anywhere else. It’s the lively spirit of the local community that allows us to do this.”

With local ski fields reporting amazing snow conditions to launch the 2015 season the stage is set for a spectacular final three Festival days. Tomorrow sees Mountain Mayhem staged up at Coronet Peak including the Auckland Airport Suitcase Race, the American Express Dash for Cash and a snowman making competition as well. In the evening is the sold-out SKYCITY Ball followed by Sunday’s spectacular UE Slopestyle skiing event on the Remarkables ski field. The festival finale will be the Auckland Airport Community Carnival in the town centre on Sunday afternoon and evening.

The American Express Queenstown Winter Festival attracts over 45,000 visitors and brings in over $55 million to the local economy.

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