Business Events Cairns & Great Barrier Reef has concluded its first-ever business events mission to New Zealand, pitching to Kiwi planners in Auckland and Christchurch last week to secure a larger share of the meetings and incentives market.
Led by Tourism Tropical North Queensland (TTNQ), the delegation traveled to Auckland and Christchurch to pitch the region’s upgraded conference infrastructure and incentive experiences directly to Kiwi event planners.
The mission capitalised on a massive surge in travel from the market, with New Zealand visitor arrivals to the region skyrocketing 45.6 per cent to 39,000 for the year ending March 2026 – outpacing Queensland’s overall state growth of 6.1 per cent.
The visiting delegation featured the Cairns Convention Centre, Business Events Port Douglas, Accor, Pullman Reef Hotel Casino, and Crystalbrook Collection. Throughout the roadshow, representatives showcased the destination’s venue portfolio, which ranges from heritage and waterfront sites to off-site rainforest settings, alongside specialised corporate incentive programmes like Great Barrier Reef coral restoration initiatives and native wildlife encounters.
Air connectivity took centrestage during the presentations, with organisers highlighting year-round direct flights between Christchurch and Cairns, complemented by Auckland’s seasonal services.
Tara Bennett, TTNQ’s partnerships and events general manager, noted that recent trade famils run alongside Tourism Australia have helped to spark interest in the destination.
“Port Douglas and Cairns have traditionally been popular as incentive destinations and for corporate groups from New Zealand and with year-round flight access from Christchurch and seasonal flights from Auckland we are in a strong position to reinvigorate this market,” she said.
