TRENZ delegates to benefit from expert insights into Asia

TRENZ delegates to benefit from expert insights into Asia

Delegates at TRENZ 2012 will be given insights from international experts to help them understand and target the new breed of Asian travellers, who have money in their pockets and are eager to experience the world.

TRENZ is the New Zealand tourism industry’s major international trade event, bringing together the country’s leading tourism operators and international travel Buyers to negotiate business for the coming holiday seasons.

“The speakers have been invited to attend as part of the Auckland Airport International Speaker Series. They present another opportunity to ensure delegates leave TRENZ with fresh ideas and knowledge to build their businesses,” says Tourism Industry Association New Zealand (TIA) Communications Manager Ann-Marie Johnson.

“We are delighted that Auckland Airport has focused on selected Asian growth markets for this year’s speaker series. International travel out of Asia and the Pacific is forecast to grow more quickly than any other region over the next 20 years, fuelled by economic growth, a fast growing middle class and a strong desire to travel.

“It is vital New Zealand better understands the expectations and needs of these travellers if we are to successfully compete for their business against a multitude of other destinations vying for their attention,” says Ms Johnson. “It is even more important, given the decline of arrivals out of some of our traditional visitor markets, like the UK and USA.”

Glenn Wedlock, Auckland Airport’s General Manager Aeronautical Business Development, says delegates will benefit greatly from hearing from these reputable speakers.

They include David Taylor, New Zealand’s Ambassador to Indonesia and to ASEAN, who will be sharing insights into those key markets from a tourism perspective.

Shedding light on the power of social and digital media will be David Chalklen of Vocanic Indonesia and Ken Dong of Razorfish in China.

TravConsult are specialists in international customer service and tourism development, and will be at TRENZ to educate New Zealand’s tourism industry to better understand and sell to the new international markets, including China, India and Indonesia.

Pierre Gervois, a leading expert in Chinese outbound tourism who attended TRENZ last year, will provide insights into targeting the new generation of affluent outbound Chinese travellers.

“The rapidly growing high-end Chinese consumer market represents a significant economic opportunity for New Zealand,” says Mr Wedlock. “The upper-middle and affluent Chinese consumer is estimated to increase from 150 million to more than 400 million over the coming decade. This is a group that New Zealand’s tourism industry needs to target well in order to realise the full value of this opportunity.

“At Auckland Airport we are working closely with Pierre Gervois, the leading expert in Chinese outbound tourism, to promote New Zealand as a luxury travel destination for this high-worth sector.”

Ann-Marie Johnson says TIA is very grateful to Auckland Airport for bringing these inspirational speakers to TRENZ. They will take to the podium at the TRENZ venue, the Queenstown Events Centre, each morning of the event from 8am to 8.40am, before the main business of the day begins.

Auckland Airport International Speaker Series:

Tuesday 8 May
Trevor Lee and Lilly Choi-Lee, TravConsult

Wednesday 9 May
David Taylor, New Zealand’s Ambassador to Indonesia & ASEAN, and
David Chalklen, Country Manager Vocanic Indonesia

Thursday 10 May
Pierre Gervois, CEO, China Elite Focus, and
Ken Hong, China Managing Director, Razorfish & Digitas

About TRENZ
TIA manages TRENZ, which brings together about 280 New Zealand tourism operators (Exhibitors) with a similar number of invited international travel and tourism buyers and media from New Zealand’s major tourism markets. The event directly helps to grow New Zealand’s tourism industry, worth $9.7 billion in foreign exchange annually. Hosted by the Southern Lakes region, TRENZ 2012 will be at the Queenstown Events Centre, 7-10 May 2012.

TRENZ is supported by Tourism New Zealand, Air New Zealand, Qantas, host region Southern Lakes and other industry partners.

For more information visit www.trenz.co.nz

ENDS

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