TRENZ, the most significant international business-to-business travel and trade event on the New Zealand tourism industry calendar, concluded last night with a warm and wonderful farewell event in Christchurch Botanic Gardens.
Delegates enjoyed delectable seafood and other fare from the South Island, danced to local bands and sat around roaring open-air campfires among marquees and teepee-style giant tents.
TRENZ is attended by the most influential international and New Zealand travel buyers in terms of generating visitors to New Zealand, along with New Zealand’s leading tourism businesses (sellers) selling products and services to the international visitor market. The Australian buyer contingent this year numbered close to 50.
For anyone thinking of attending TRENZ in coming years, here are few facts.
Why have TRENZ?
TRENZ gives international and New Zealand travel buyers the opportunity to meet with New Zealand’s top tourism operators under one roof and learn about their products and services.
- Over three days of focused business activity, travel and tourism buyers can view the wide range of visitor experiences New Zealand offers and negotiate contracts with motivated sellers.
- TRENZ highlights the importance of tourism to New Zealand’s economic, social and environmental wellbeing.
- Tourism is vital to New Zealand. Chief executive of Tourism New Zealand, Rene de Monchy (pictured above), told TRENZ that before the Covid pandemic, tourism was a prime New Zealand export earner, at NZ$17.2 billion annually. This equated to 20% of export earnings and 5% of the country’s GDP. Covid reduced this virtually to zero and it’s now building back, fast.
Who attends TRENZ?
New Zealand Sellers
Over 300 leading New Zealand tourism businesses (sellers) are exhibiting at TRENZ 2023:
- High quality New Zealand tourism operators targeting the international visitor market.
- Large and small operators, both established and those new to the international market.
- A diverse range of New Zealand tourism products on offer – everything from five-star hotels to star gazing experiences.
International Buyers
- Over 330 buyers from 25 markets from around the world. These include New Zealand’s largest visitor markets such as Australia, China, USA, UK and Japan, and also developing markets like Argentina and India. Israel will attend this year for the first time.
- TRENZ attracts wholesale, corporate and retail travel buyers looking for tourism products and services to appeal to free, independent travellers (FITs), special interest, tours, and conference and incentive organisers.
Media
- International and domestic media representing a wide range of media outlets, including consumer, trade and business media, print, TV, radio, online.
Other
- Government ministers and Opposition MPs, Local Government leaders.
- TRENZ partners.
- Industry influencers, investors and business leaders.
- Local government representatives.
- Students and teachers
What was new at TRENZ 2023?
44 New Zealand tourism businesses attended TRENZ as first-time sellers
Around 40 new products were on show
New products and first-time sellers are listed on the TRENZ website – https://trenz.co.nz
The value of TRENZ
- TRENZ plays an important role in the marketing and growth of New Zealand’s valuable tourism industry.
- Buyers report that TRENZ is the most important New Zealand tourism product purchasing activity they undertake.
- Sellers continue to generate new business out of TRENZ three years after each annual event.
What is the format?
TRENZ is a business-to-business event with a sophisticated, electronic appointment system that enables over 15,000 15-minute Buyer and Seller appointments to be booked before and throughout the event.
The TRENZ program also features a range of networking functions and tours.
How long has it been going?
TRENZ has operated since the early 1960s and has been held annually in its current format since 1994.
Tourism in New Zealand
Tourism is a vital contributor to New Zealand’s economy and way of life. The benefits it delivers are immense, spanning social and cultural elements as well as supporting regional economies throughout the country and sustaining jobs in communities that may not exist without a vibrant visitor industry:
- Tourism is a vital contributor to New Zealand’s economic and social wellbeing, generating wealth and support jobs in communities around the country.
- Tourism is one of New Zealand’s largest export earners.
- The industry’s Tourism 2025 growth framework has a goal of growing total tourism revenue to $41 billion a year by 2025.
New Zealand Tourism Sustainability Commitment
The New Zealand Tourism Sustainability Commitment (TSC) aims to see every New Zealand tourism business committed to sustainability by 2025 – the Vision is “Leading the World in Sustainable Tourism”.
To deliver on this, the tourism industry must achieve ambitious economic goals while sharing the overwhelming benefits with supportive host communities, contributing to restoring, protecting and enhancing New Zealand’s natural environment, and continuing to be a high-quality destination of choice for domestic and international travellers.
The goal is to have every tourism business signed up to the TSC by 2025. Go to www.sustainabletourism.nz to read more about the TSC.
Edited by Peter Needham
