Attendance down at travel expo

By SIMON HENDERY tourism writer

A global downturn in travel and tourism has kept some international buyers away from New Zealand's showcase tourism expo which begins in Auckland today.

Just under 400 overseas buyers are expected at the Trenz (Tourism Rendezvous New Zealand) four-day trade expo at the Auckland Showgrounds, down from the 425 who attended the annual event last year.

But a record number of local operators have booked stands at this year's event and the Tourism Industry Association, which organises the expo, expects business to be as brisk as last year.

Chief executive John Moriarty said international wholesalers of New Zealand tourism products - especially those in Asia - were feeling the pinch from the economic downturn caused by the Sars virus.

As a result some were cutting costs by staying away from events like Trenz, or were sending one buyer when in the past they had sent two or three.

"Given the circumstances with the world situation the way it is, we're pretty pleased with the buyer numbers," Moriarty said.

The business-to-business expo is the biggest event on the local tourism industry's calendar and is estimated to generate between $1 billion and $2 billion in business between local operators and overseas buyers.

A record 446 businesses, from small husband-and-wife tour guide companies through to the Government's $55 million-a-year marketing Machine Tourism New Zealand, have booked stands at the expo, up from 415 exhibitors last year.

More than 1500 people, including 30 overseas journalists, are attending the event which concludes on Thursday night with a gala dinner at the North Shore Events Centre.

Moriarty said while the mood of the tourism sector in some parts of the world was "very tentative, bordering on bleak" the New Zealand industry remained optimistic.

Tourism New Zealand has predicted Sars will lead to a 10 to 15 per cent fall in visitor arrivals between May and July, meaning between about 45,000 and 50,000 fewer tourists will travel here.

"We do know there are some economic clouds hovering over Europe and the United States but we also know that people will still seek travel ... it seems to be as close to a genetic attribute of humankind as you can get," Moriarty said.

Despite the fall in overseas buyers attending Trenz, he did not expect a drop in business done through the expo.

"People do break through the gloom and use travel as a way of lifting themselves and rekindling themselves. That's the reason why we're optimistic."