Latest Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) data shows more than 1.5 million domestic commercial guest nights were spent in the capital over the period from the campaign launch last October to August 2015.

This equates to a 5.6% growth on the same period a year before, or an additional 82,973 commercial guest nights.

Positively Wellington Tourism Chief Executive David Perks says the campaign – ‘It’s never just a weekend when it’s in Wellington’ – has been a great success.

“We’re very happy with the response to the campaign, which captured the energy and personality of Wellington, while showcasing just how much fun you can pack into a short visit or a long weekend.

“More than half of the months since the campaign launched have hit all-time highs for domestic guest nights, helping Wellington set new 12-month total guest night records every month since November.”

Wellington hotels have seen the benefits of the strong domestic performance, David says.

“Our partner hotels have reported an average occupancy rate of 76% in the year since the campaign launched, up from 72% in the 12 months before. In this environment, we’re seeing growing interest in investment in hotel development and refurbishment across Wellington.”

TIA recently announced it was spearheading a Domestic Tourism Working Group to maximise the potential of domestic travel.

The Working Group includes representatives from Tourism New Zealand, Regional Tourism Organisations NZ, the Automobile Association, Air New Zealand, the accommodation and transport sectors, Department of Conservation and the Ministry of Business, Innovation & Employment. .

about PWT’s domestic campaign success.

Real Journeys will become the new owner and operator of the attraction on 30 October, investing in Christchurch’s tourism growth and the city’s 100 year relationship with Antarctica.

“This sets the International Antarctic Centre up for future success, with Real Journeys looking at a multi-million dollar upgrade of the attraction,” says airport Chief Executive Malcolm Johns.

“It will also see the attraction play a more significant role in connecting visitors to Christchurch with both our airport’s and our country’s long relationship with the Ice.

“Research tells us very clearly the Antarctic attraction in the middle of a working international Antarctic base gives visitors an experience other locations cannot replicate. Visitors to this centre can see operational personnel and aircraft from the US, New Zealand and Korea going about their daily Antarctic business. No other location can offer that level of authenticity to visitors and it’s important.”

The airport company took the attraction over three years ago post-quakes and Malcolm says the time is right to pass the baton to an expert in this area who can take it to the next level. Real Journeys will bring to this business a set of skills and experience which will set it up for success.

Real Journeys Chief Executive Richard Lauder says the company is looking forward to adding another iconic New Zealand attraction to its portfolio. He says the timing is perfect, as tourism returns to Christchurch and the airport experiences strong international airline growth.

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What a fantastic celebration of tourism success we enjoyed at the Tourism Industry Awards gala dinner!

Managed by the Tourism Industry Association New Zealand (TIA) with Award Partners Air New Zealand and the Ministry of Business, Innovation & Employment, the awards were announced at a black-tie dinner in Auckland this evening attended by more than 300 industry leaders and supporters.

The Awards judges said Skyline Rotorua is an iconic tourism industry product that has undergone an incredible transformation over the past couple of years to successfully attract more visitors, broaden its appeal, drive up revenue and improve guest satisfaction. The big business changes it has made have helped reinvigorate Rotorua.

Located just minutes’ drive from downtown Rotorua, high up Mt Ngongotaha, the adventure and family attraction includes thrilling rides like the Zoom Zipline and Sky Swing, a Mountain Bike Gravity Park, nature trails, wine tasting, a restaurant and shopping.

As part of their prize, Skyline Rotorua will receive air travel to any Air New Zealand destination in North America, South America or Asia valued at up to $10,000 to help them grow their business.

Skyline Rotorua also won the Business Excellence Award for annual business turnover over $6 million, supported by JLT/AIG.

TIA Chief Executive Chris Roberts says Skyline Rotorua’s comprehensive strategy hits all the key points within the industry’s Tourism 2025 growth framework, including generating the growth of shoulder season tourism, productivity for profit and delivering an outstanding visitor experience.

The industry’s most prestigious individual award, the Sir Jack Newman Award, supported by Crowe Horwath International, went to film director and producer Sir Peter Jackson, who judges called Destination New Zealand’s number one marketer. Sir Peter is also a part-owner of Hobbiton, supporting the development of this world-class tourism attraction. His planes and artefacts are on display at the Omaka Aviation Heritage Centre. This year he created The Great War Exhibition in Wellington and he is working with the National Army Museum to create a life-size World War One battlefield in Waiouru.

TIA launched the new and expanded awards programme this year, closely aligned to the tourism industry’s Tourism 2025 growth framework which aims to almost double annual tourism revenue to $41 billion by 2025.

The new-look awards attracted more than 100 entries, a reflection of a buoyant industry that pumps over $65 million daily into New Zealand’s economy and supports thousands of jobs in communities all over the country, says Mr Roberts.

“We had entries from organisations of all sizes and sectors across our diverse industry, and it’s fantastic to see an attraction from the birthplace of tourism in New Zealand take out the top prize.”

2015 Tourism Industry Award winners

Air New Zealand Supreme Tourism Industry Award, and
Business Excellence Award – annual turnover more than $6 million, supported by JLT/AIG
Skyline Rotorua

Sir Jack Newman Award (outstanding industry leader) supported by Crowe Horwath International
Sir Peter Jackson, Wellington

Emerging Tourism Leader, supported by PATA New Zealand Trust
Ryan Sanders, Haka Tours Ltd, Auckland

Tourism Industry Champion, supported by Sudima Hotels & Resorts
Jeroen Jongejans, Dive! Tutukaka

Visitor Experience Award, supported by ServiceIQ
Coronet Peak Ski Area, Queenstown

Business Excellence Award – annual turnover less than $6 million, supported by Westpac
Haka Tours Ltd, Auckland

Environmental Tourism Award, supported by Mercury Energy
Ziptrek Ecotours, Queenstown

Maori Cultural Tourism Award, supported by Spark Business
TIME Unlimited Tours, Auckland

Tourism Marketing Campaign Award, supported by ReserveGroup
Thrifty Car Rental New Zealand, Christchurch

Industry Alignment Award, supported by the Ministry of Business, Innovation & Employment
Department of Conservation / Air New Zealand – The Great Walks Story

Tourism 2025 Enabler Award, supported by Auckland Airport
Angus & Associates, Wellington

For more information go to www.tourismawards.co.nz

If built, the Otago Daily Times reports it will be New Zealand’s first skydiving wind tunnel.

Visitors will float on a column of air rising five metres above the ground.

The project is a joint venture between SkyVenture International, which manufactures iFLY wind tunnels, and Auckland couple Emma and Gary Beyer. Ms Beyer expected to employ about 24 staff, including 14 highly-trained instructors.

She says the chosen site is on the tourism corridor to the gondola, which takes in two mini-golf courses and the Kiwi Birdlife Park, and close to Queenstown’s CBD.

Ms Beyer was on the British skydiving team that won the 2006 world champs, while her husband is a former World and US champ.

Depending on how long the resource consent process takes, she says iFLY could be flying clients by the end of next year.

Bulding on last year’s trade event, Christchurch and Canterbury Tourism (CCT) joined forces with Destination Kaikoura, Hurunui Tourism, Destination Marlborough, Nelson Tasman Tourism and Tourism West Coast in Auckland to promote itineraries around their regions.

The group held a lunch for 34 Chinese ITOs at the Heritage Auckland, with regional updates and a grand prize draw of two return flights from Christchurch to Guangzhou on the new China Southern service starting in December. Chinese New Zealand media outlet SkyKiwi also covered the event.

A trade-focused day followed with 33 representatives from the Top of the South regions meeting with 34 ITOs to promote their products and form strong business links.

Christchurch Airport sponsored the Top of South for the second year.

The Auckland NZICC will be the largest purpose built convention centre in New Zealand, capable of hosting conferences of 3150 people or two concurrent events of 1200 delegates each.

SKYCITY also plans to construct a new laneway featuring shops, cafes, bars and quality signature restaurants.

The resource consent approval also allows for the construction of a 5-star, 300-room hotel. SKYCITY says it has completed the preliminary design for the hotel and is currently exploring options with external investors for the development and future ownership of the hotel.

“SKYCITY is looking forward to developing this landmark building, which will bring jobs, growth, and further essential tourism infrastructure investment to Auckland and New Zealand,” says Chief Executive Nigel Morrison.

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It’s an exciting time to be in tourism, with records being broken in both visitor arrivals and visitor spend. We can certainly say the industry is well on track to achieving the Tourism 2025 aspirational goal of growing total tourism revenue to $41 billion in the next decade.

The NZ Herald reported that work on a $200 million luxury hotel on Auckland’s waterfront will start next year after the project was granted resource consent this week.

Auckland Council’s Panuku Development Auckland branch made the announcement this morning. The building will be one of the largest Chinese investments in New Zealand infrastructure.

The hotel – to be referred to as the Park Hyatt Auckland – will be managed by the world-renowned Hyatt Group and will be built with the help of the Fu Wah International Group, which announced its plans for the hotel in November.

The group will invest around $200 million in the project, with $2.5 million going to the development of a new space for the public immediately around the hotel, which will be located at Wynyard Quarter.

The building will bring an element of extravagance to the area, standing at seven storeys high.

It will have 195 rooms, a ballroom, entertainment facilities, health centre and day spa.

Prime Minister and Minister for Tourism John Key yesterday praised the new hotel, saying that it would provide a huge boost for local tourism.

Auckland Mayor Len Brown, who is in China, said that such a hotel would help not only to attract the very rich to Auckland, but would also create more jobs in the city’s business district.

“This hotel means more jobs and a strong step into the lucrative but largely untapped high-net-worth individuals tourism sector – which will be a huge benefit to Auckland’s economy and future.”

Christchurch Airport Chief Executive Malcolm Johns says the new service offers more than 70,000 seats and more than $100 million in visitor spend for the whole economy once it is fully established.

“That is positive news not only for the tourism industry but also for southern air freight needs, which add up to significant economic development opportunities for every region of the South Island.

“We know from official government statistics that when the entry point is Christchurch every South Island region benefits, because visitors on average leave around 85% of their spending in the South Island. This drops to less than 35% when the entry point is not Christchurch.”

The airport has led a series of engagements in China over recent years to lift the profile of the South Island in China, strongly supported by major South Island tourism operators and by many regions.

“Flying in formation in China has made a powerful impression with China Southern Airlines,” says Mr Johns. “As an airport, we were competing for this aircraft against cities including Rome, Istanbul, Cairo and Chicago. When it comes to footing it on the world stage, against this type of competition, we needed the South Island to stand up and make an impact, which it did on both counts.

“The South Island was strongly supported by both central and local government as it built its relationship with China Southern Airlines and many key travel trade partners in China over the past 18 months.

“The strong support from both central and local government was critical in this process. The Tourism Growth Partnership has been very supportive, as has Tourism New Zealand, and the New Zealand Consulate in Guangzhou was brilliant in every way we could have asked for,” he says.

China Southern Airlines flies into Guangzhou, one of the fastest growing airport hubs in Asia, so this new service will provide South Islanders with direct international air connections to many parts of Asia and Europe.

Read the CIAL media release.