Record Number of Emerging Markets to Attend TRENZ 2009

Nine international travel buyers from South America will be among the hundreds of tourism industry people that flock to Auckland for TRENZ in June.

This year the New Zealand tourism industry’s biggest annual event will host travel buyers from a record number of emerging markets. As well as South American countries including Argentina, Brazil, Chile and Uruguay, travel sellers from European markets such as Italy, France and Spain will also be represented.

Tourism New Zealand Chief Executive George Hickton said that the numbers show there is an increasing level of interest in New Zealand from these non-traditional markets. "The South American countries are seeing good growth in outbound travel and New Zealand fits well with the kind of experiences these travellers are looking for.

"The interest in TRENZ shows that these new markets are as interested in doing business with us as the New Zealand industry is in working with them. Tourism New Zealand is looking at ways to take advantage of this and is already working with the travel trade in some of these countries."

There is also increased interest from Italy and France, which will become more and more important markets for New Zealand especially during the Rugby World Cup 2011.

TRENZ 2009 will host around 260 international travel sellers. The biggest groups of travel buyers will hail from New Zealand’s five major markets: Australia, China, Japan, the US and UK.

Tourism New Zealand will also host around 25 international media outlets from 11 countries throughout the week of TRENZ, with a combined audience of approximately 20 million.

Around 270 New Zealand tourism businesses will exhibit, with 25 of these attending TRENZ for the first time.

Tourism Industry Association Chief Executive Tim Cossar said the number of first-time exhibitors as well as operators with new products will give the international travel trade plenty of reason to make the trip to New Zealand.

"In the face of a more challenging global marketplace, New Zealand tourism’s industry and individual operators need to keep our share of voice in international markets strong and TRENZ is critical in helping to make this happen," Cossar said.

TRENZ 2009 will take place at the Auckland ASB Showgrounds, 8-11 June.

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