Rotorua in good position for TRENZ rewards

Trenz at the Rotorua Energy Events Centre. Photo / File

Rotorua looks set to reap the rewards as the tourism industry gears up for TRENZ 2019, if the success of the last year's event in Dunedin is anything to go by.

TRENZ is New Zealand's biggest and most influential showcase for the $39.1 billion tourism industry.

The event is happening May 13 to May 16 at Rotorua's Energy Events Centre.

About 300 international travel sellers come to New Zealand for the event and meet with New Zealand operators for one-on-one appointments over three days.

Emily Byrne, director of Marketing, Partnerships & Events at Tourism Industry Aotearoa which manages TRENZ, told the Dunedin City Council today that post TRENZ 2018 research revealed the four-day event generated millions of dollars of value to the host regions Dunedin, Waitaki and Southland.

"The economic impact study estimates the regions' tourism operators will enjoy $10.3 million in additional business over the course of one year as a result of TRENZ."

In addition, international media attending TRENZ from the industry's key visitor markets generated articles and social media content worth an estimated $1.56 million in equivalent advertising value (EAV).

This included a piece by CNN Traveller worth more than $600,000 in EAV which lauded Dunedin's "quiet, understated cool".

Emily Byrne, director of Marketing, Partnerships & Events at Tourism Industry Aotearoa which manages TRENZ.

Byrne said Dunedin hotels, motels and other accommodation providers were big winners.

"Almost 1500 New Zealand tourism operators, travel and trade buyers from around the world, and domestic and international media were hosted in Dunedin over the four-day event, staying an estimated total of 5361 nights while attending TRENZ."

She said the 2018 event was the first time TRENZ had been held in Dunedin, and its success proved that this large international showcase could be delivered to a world-class standard in a regional centre and generate multiple benefits to that host community.

"We overcame the logistical challenges of bringing this major event to Dunedin, and significantly raised both international and domestic delegate awareness of what Dunedin offered as a visitor destination.