SCENIC MATAVAI RESORT ANNOUNCES CONFERENCE FACILITY FOR NIUE
Christchurch, New Zealand – 16 October 2015. “Unmissable.” “Under the Radar.” “One of the South Pacific’s Best-Kept Secrets.” This is how travel writers and
critics begin talking about their Niue experience.
An “emerging market” for the past five years, Niue is now literally spreading its wings with Scenic Matavai Resort this
week announcing plans to add both accommodation and a 140 people-capacity, oceanfront conference facility to its resort
offering.
Scenic Hotel Group Managing Director, Brendan Taylor, says the support that the expansion has received from leaders such
as Niue Premier Toke Talagi, and the Hon. Murray McCully, New Zealand Minister of Foreign Affairs, is a testimony to
their foresight.
Both leaders, he says, have a strong and highly strategic vision for tourism as the key contributor to Niue’s economy,
and the Scenic Matavai Resort development is the culmination of years of work on tourism infrastructure throughout the
island. Brendan also acknowledges the support of Matavai Niue Limited Chairman, Ian Fitzgerald, in helping bring this
ambitious and much-needed project to fruition.
Brendan says the conference centre construction will take place over the next 12 months in staggered phasing with
completion at the end of 2016. The design of the conference space will optimise its flexibility and functionality with
the use of movable walls and breakout rooms. It will also coincide with the development of the Amaia Luxury Spa at the
Scenic Matavai Resort.
Brendan says the 140 people-capacity conference facility will not only meet demand from the New Zealand and Australian
conference and incentive sectors, who are continually looking for unique destinations for their clients, but also the
wedding market and major Pacific Island forums, meetings and conferences.
Scenic Matavai Resort has hosted a number of high-profile and celebrity weddings over the past year and is gaining
popularity as a wedding venue with a spectacular difference. Brendan says the cliff-top views from Scenic Matavai are
amongst the most breathtaking oceanscapes in the world.
In addition to providing purpose-built conference facilities for the resort, the expansion project at Scenic Matavai
will increase its accommodation capacity to a total of 66 resort rooms. This is in addition to the other nearby Scenic
Matavai property which offers studio apartments and a three-bedroom villa.
Brendan says the flow-on effects for the island are expected to be significant from a commercial point of view, with
tourism operators, restaurants, activities and other accommodation outlets all enjoying the benefits of additional
visitors who will seek out the exceptional activities and experiences available in Niue. The conference market is also a
higher-yielding tourism sector that is less seasonal than holiday travel and will therefore provide valuable revenue
flows during the tourism shoulder season.
With this development, the Scenic Hotel Group is well placed to bring together its proven track record in hotel and
resort management and its considerable knowledge and experience of the conference and incentive market. A number of
Scenic Hotel Group properties in New Zealand have purpose-built conference facilities on-site, and the Group's
management of facilities such as the Marlborough Convention Centre has also proved instrumental in stimulating
conference-related travel growth.
ENDS