Convention centre will bring economic benefits
Development of a national convention centre will create substantial economic benefits, both for the tourism industry and
the wider New Zealand economy, the Tourism Industry Association New Zealand (TIA) says.
TIA is welcoming the expected resumption of negotiations between the government and SKYCITY to develop a national
convention centre, following today’s release of the report by the Office of the Auditor-General into the expressions of
interest process.
“We look forward to participating in the process to develop a national convention centre,” TIA Chief Executive Martin
Snedden says.
“The latest visitor expenditure figures released today, showing a 6% decrease in spending by international visitors
since 2011, only reinforce the need for a national convention centre.”
Conference delegates are high-spending visitors, spending an average of $365 a night, compared to an international
leisure visitor who spends around $200 a night.
It is estimated a national convention centre will boost New Zealand’s economy by more than $90 million a year. It is
expected to create 1000 jobs during construction and another 800 positions when it is operational.
It will also support many more jobs across the economy, including in the accommodation, catering, transport and retail
sectors.
“Development of a world-class convention centre will not only create a major new market for our tourism industry, it
will contribute significantly to New Zealand’s economic recovery,” Mr Snedden says.
The lack of a world-class convention centre prevents New Zealand from hosting large international conferences.
“We have been losing conventions to other destinations, particularly Australia, because we don’t have an
international-scale convention centre. Development of such a facility will enable the industry to target a whole new
market that can’t be accommodated by existing conference facilities,” Mr Snedden says.
“While we acknowledge that there are genuine concerns about issues related to gambling, we are confident that the
legislative process will provide an opportunity for a thorough examination of the issues.”
ENDS