Tourism NZ gets $1.3m for Indian office

By SIMON HENDERY

The Government is giving Tourism New Zealand an extra $1.3 million over four years to set up a marketing office in India.

Tourism New Zealand is predicting the office its first permanent foothold in India will enable it to boost annual visitor arrivals from the subcontinent from 14,000 to 20,000 by the middle of next year.

Tourism Minister Mark Burton announced the funding for the office yesterday at the Tourism Rendezvous New Zealand (Trenz) trade show being held in Auckland this week.

The money is part of a pre-Budget announcement of an extra $2.2 million for tourism.

It is additional to Tourism New Zealand's existing $55 million annual budget and will be used to fund the appointment of one full-time Tourism New Zealand staff member in New Delhi, and to pay for marketing activities.

The other new spending announced yesterday is $632,000 over three years to develop the Visitor Information Network of 90 visitor centres and $220,000 for new research into the development of cultural tourism.

Statistics New Zealand said yesterday 144,000 overseas visitors arrived in the country last month, down 6 per cent compared with April last year.

The numbers were affected by a peak transtasman travel period, the Easter holidays, which fell in March this year and April last year.

Tourism New Zealand chief executive George Hickton said the April figures were disappointing after good growth in visitor numbers for the first quarter of this year.

"This shows that we cannot afford to be complacent about our tourism industry. We are facing strong competition from other markets who are all competing for the post September-11 tourist."

Visitor numbers from India were up 45 per cent during the month to 1530.

Burton used his opening speech at the annual Trenz show on Monday night to praise the tourism industry's resilience after last September's US terror attacks.

He said the sector had faced unprecedented disruption and uncertainty.

"However, we rose to the challenge, and by highlighting our competitive advantages a safe, secure, friendly destination, offering a wonderful combination of outstanding natural environments, adventure, people, and artistic and cultural richness New Zealand tourism has already rebounded and is back on a strong growth track." A record 1500 delegates - including 425 international buyers from 36 countries - are attending this year's Trenz expo.

Monday's opening function included the announcement of finalists in the New Zealand Tourism Awards 2002, organised by the Tourism Industry Association.

TIA chief executive John Moriarty said the calibre of entries had been high and businesses had focused on business sustainability and "recognising that tourism must fit within communities".

The award finalists, who now face further rounds of judging, including site visits, are:

Dive! Tutukaka, Whangarei; NZONE "The Ultimate Jump", Queenstown; Franz Josef Glacier Guides; Stonehurst Accommodation, Christchurch; Opera in the Pa, Rotorua; Fieldays 2001; Ellerslie Flower Show; Waimangu Volcanic Valley, Rotorua; Hiking NZ, Lyttelton; Rotorua Museum of Art History; Otago Museum; Te Anau Top 10 Mountain View Holiday Park; Top 10 Auckland North Shore Motels and Holiday Park; The Dairy Guesthouse, Queenstown; Evergreen Lodge, Queenstown; Black Cat Group, Lyttelton & Akaroa; Wings Over Whales, Kaikoura; Royal Lakeside Novotel, Rotorua; Heritage Auckland; Mercure Grand Hotel St Moritz, Queenstown; The Grand Chateau; Quality Hotel Commodore Christchurch Airport; Lakeland of Taupo; Anchor Inn Motel; Kaikoura; NZ Motorcycle Rentals, Christchurch; Kiwi Experience; Christchurch and Canterbury Marketing; Hawkes Bay Partnership; Makana Confectionary; Ancient Kauri Kingdom; S & C Snowboard Shop; Jasons Travel Media; McLaren Brown Publishing; The Sir George Seymour College of Travel & Tourism; Travel Careers & Training; The International Travel College; All Track Adventures, Ohariu Valley; Wai-o-tapu Thermal Wonderland; Hanmer Springs Thermal Reserve; Action New Zealand.