The Queenstown Convention Bureau (QCB) has reported a dramatic increase in business event enquiries, following the recent New Zealand government announcement welcoming Australian business events groups back into the country.
According to the bureau, Australian leads are up 366 per cent for 3Q2022, while hotels in Queenstown are reporting a great increase in queries.
Significant investment over the past two years in accommodation, facilities and services puts Queenstown in a good position to support the return of business events.
Accommodation capacity has increased by 38 per cent since June 2018, new activities such as Oxbow and iFly are now available, new restaurants and bars have opened, and airlines have confirmed they will increase flights between Australia and Queenstown.
Jana Kingston, business development manager – Australia and North America at QCB, shared that she met with over 60 buyers at the recently-concluded AIME in Melbourne, at which Queenstown’s new venues and activities were showcased, generating almost 20 leads.
“To say we are excited to welcome Australian business events and delegates back to Queenstown is an understatement. We have spent two years preparing for this day, we have used our downtime wisely and we are ready to show why Queenstown is still one of the world’s top business event destinations,” said Kingston.
