Familiar and yet out of this world, New Zealand offers visitors an intriguing blend of experiences. While infused with British tastes and traditions, it’s also a place where travelers encounter the exotic Maori culture of the South Seas and a primeval landscape of giant tree ferns and ancient gnarled forests where hobbits seem to dwell.
Increasingly, meeting and incentive groups from North America are among those searching out New Zealand as a new and inspiring destination, according to Alexa Bennett, business events manager for Tourism New Zealand in Los Angeles.
“In 2012, we got additional funding from the New Zealand government to focus on key areas, including establishing relationships with incentive houses and bringing people down for site visits,” she said. “Since then we’re seeing more business from the U.S. each year. We had 12 percent growth last year and this year we will see even more.”
A boost also came from The Lord of the Rings movies, which were filmed in locations throughout New Zealand used to depict Middle-earth. Among them is Matmata on the North Island, where the Hobbiton Movie Set has become a permanent visitor attraction.
“Our marketing and PR teams have done a really good job of leveraging The Lord of the Rings tie-in,” Bennett said. “It’s really raised awareness and has allowed us to better target premium events.”
Another boost has come from improved air accessibility from North America, which has resulted in a 30 percent increase in airlift over the past year, she added.
“Air New Zealand, our flagship carrier, recently added a direct flight from Houston to Auckland, which is great for people coming from the Midwest and the East Coast—they no longer have to fly all the way to Los Angeles,” she said. “There’s also new service on United to Auckland out of San Francisco, and American is now flying nonstop to Auckland from Los Angeles.”
Overall, demographic trends are favoring New Zealand, with Millennial travelers among those intrigued by the country’s reputation as an adventure destination where bungee jumping and numerous other daredevil experiences got their start, Bennett noted.
“Tech companies and some dealer programs with a younger demographic are 100 percent keen on the adventure element—no selling is needed,” she said. “In general, New Zealand really does sell itself. People are always curious and want to know more about it.”
When is the best time for MICE groups to come? According to Bennett, many groups favor the shoulder seasons of September through November and March through April, periods when the weather is pleasant but prices are slightly lower than the peak summer months of December through February.
Auckland
New Zealand’s largest city and its major international gateway, Auckland is gearing up for meeting and incentive groups with new upscale hotels and a new convention center designed to serve international groups.
Among the new properties on the horizon is The Ritz-Carlton, Auckland, a 209-room hotel that will be the first Ritz-Carlton in New Zealand when it opens in 2019. Also under development is the 190-room Park Hyatt Auckland, set to open in 2018 with three restaurants and bars, event spaces and a spa. Set on Auckland Harbour, the hotel will be part of a major revitalization of the area.
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Other new hotels for Auckland include the Sofitel So, a luxury property housed in the historic New Zealand Reserve Bank building and expected to open by the end of the year with 133 guest rooms, a rooftop restaurant and a spa located in the former bank vault.
“The hotel will be located near the waterfront in the Britomart district, which has a lot of new restaurants and bars as well as high-end shopping and boutiques,” Bennett said. “It’s becoming a great little hub.”
Also on the horizon is a new convention center to be located in the SkyCity Auckland complex, which also includes event venues, restaurants and two hotels. Set to open in 2019, the center will be able to host groups of just under 3,000 people. At the same time, a new five-star hotel is expected to open in support of the center.
“This will be our largest convention center and will open up new opportunities for us—right now we’re limited to conferences of up to 2,000 people,” Bennett said. “Now we’ll be able to target larger groups, including those from international destinations.”
Wellington
Located on the southern edge of the North Island and named by Lonely Planet as “the coolest little capital city in the world,” Wellington is also ramping up its infrastructure for tourism and meetings. Last August saw the opening of the Sofitel Wellington, a 129-room hotel with three meeting rooms and a botanical theme that reflects its location next to the Botanical Gardens.
Among Wellington’s top attractions and event venues is the Weta Workshop, a film design studio with a creative portfolio that includes The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit trilogies as well as Avatar, District 9, King Kong and The Chronicles of Narnia. Groups can take a guided tour of the studio, which is filled with authentic film props, and see work being done through a series of windows.
Christchurch
The South Island’s largest city, Christchurch is making a rapid recovery since suffering damage from two earthquakes in 2010 and 2011. Along with several new hotel openings, the city is set to regain its status as a business hub when the new Christchurch Convention and Exhibition Centre opens in late 2019, according to Vic Allen, chief executive of Christchurch and Canterbury Tourism.
“Already we have significant interest in larger conferences wanting to come back to Christchurch,” Allen said of the new facility, which will be able to accommodate up to two 700-person conferences at the same time.
With the city expecting to see a further influx of new hotels in support of the new convention center, recent openings include the 264-room BreakFree on Cashel, featuring a conference room for meetings. Set to open next year across from the new convention center, the Crowne Plaza Christchurch will offer 195 guest rooms, two restaurants, meeting facilities and a fitness center.
Queenstown
Set on the shores of the South Island’s Lake Wakapitu, Queenstown is a major hub for incentive groups exploring the South Alps, historic mining towns and vineyards. According to Bennett, the city, which is undergoing a tourism boom, is poised to see a significant increase in its meetings infrastructure.
“A lot of things are in the talking stages, but nothing has been officially announced yet,” she said. “There’s talk of a Ritz-Carlton as well as a major events center that would include hotels, restaurants and bars. There may also be a gondola going from the events center right up to the ski fields.”
Among the new offerings for groups is Sip and Zip, a collaboration between Appellation Central Wine Tours and AJ Hackett Bungy that offers a visit to a vineyard and a zipline ride.
