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| IN THIS ISSUE - SPRING 2017 |
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| Welcome |
Whether it has been a full day conferencing, or a day of exciting activities there’s nothing better than enjoying an alfresco glass of pinot noir whilst admiring the sun change the colour of the snowcapped mountains. In Queenstown there is always time to experience the wonders of your business destination, ranging from a spin on a jet boat, a cruise on Lake Wakatipu or simply a delicious meal at one of the hundreds of restaurants and cafes. This is made even easier as we enter Spring and daylight hours are longer and the warmth of the sun is getting stronger.
Bureau Remarks is designed to keep you up to date on Queenstown's new and updated products however our Convention Bureau team is available to help at any time. Please don’t hesitate to contact the team here in Queenstown, either Louise or Rebekah. Or for those of you in Australia, please email our Australian business development manager Jana Kingston.
Warm regards
The Queenstown Convention Bureau team
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| Queenstown News |
Louise Clark has returned to Destination Queenstown from parental leave, taking up the new position of Queenstown Convention Bureau Sales and Marketing Manager.
Louise started her career at Destination Queenstown as Trade and Bureau Marketing Executive, and most recently held the position of International Markets Manager – Western.
In the new sales and marketing role Louise will focus on growing Queenstown’s profile as a world class conference and incentive destination in New Zealand and long-haul markets, in addition to Jana Kingston who oversees the Australia market. Louise will also be responsible for delivering the QCB’s marketing and sales collateral across the business.
We are working on our 2018/19 Product Directory. This is a great trade resource for you and your team. This will be completed by November and we will have both digital and hard copies available. Please register here if you would like to receive a hard copy, providing with your name and postal address to Sarah.
Queenstown Airport released its 30-year Master Plan options for the community’s consideration. This is the start of a two-month community engagement programme which includes airport community sessions, presentations to a broad range of community, business and tourism groups, and public ‘fly-in’ visits in high foot traffic locations across Queenstown, Arrowtown, Wanaka, Glenorchy, Kingston and Central. The airport’s senior leadership team will be taking turns travelling around the region during September and October to present at or man these sessions. The Master Plan Options summary document is the main source of printed information and there is a dedicated section on the airport’s website which includes a downloadable summary document, factsheets and a link to the feedback survey. A schedule of public events will also be posted there once all of the sessions around the region are confirmed. After seeing how fast the airport has grown in 30 years, considering what the airport and region could look like in another 30 years is a challenge! The airport team is keen for everyone to have the opportunity to have their say on the airport’s future so please encourage your colleagues, families and friends to attend the sessions and provide feedback
Queenstown Wedding Association has launched a new website with increased functionality for user. New features include a wish-list and alphabetical category listings.
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| Amway China Incentive 2018 |
In April and May 2018 Queenstown is welcoming the Amway China incentive. The Amway incentive delegates will be traveling to Queenstown in groups of about 500 people at a time, spread across six weeks.
The groups will also be based at one hotel throughout the period. As a world class conference and incentive destination, Queenstown can comfortably host these groups of Amway incentive delegates without displacing other conference or incentive delegations, and Queenstown’s general leisure visitors.
There is capacity at many Queenstown hotels during what is traditionally one of our shoulder seasons, and visitors will discover an authentic Queenstown autumn experience.
If you have clients interested in coming to Queenstown during this time do get in touch with the Bureau, we are ready to assist with accommodation, activity and venue requirements.
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| Awards and Accolades |
Millbrook Resort's Millhouse Restaurant has been awarded the Wine Spectator Magazine Award for Wine Excellence for the sixth year in a row. Millbrook's Kobe Cuisine has also won first place in the World Luxury Restaurant Awards for Australia and Oceania. The resort’s The Spa at Millbrook was also named Best Luxury Resort Spa in Australasia, Best Luxury Hotel Spa in New Zealand and Best Luxury Spa Retreat in New Zealand at the World Luxury Spa Awards.
Amisfield's Vaughan Mabee has won the Ora King Salmon Innovation Award in the Cuisine Good Food Awards. Amisfield Bistro was also awarded two hats at the awards, alongside Rata. Sherwood's restaurant received one hat.
Hilton Queenstown's eforea spa has won Australasia’s Luxury Hotel Spa award at the World Luxury Spa Awards 2017.
Real Journeys has been named the Supreme Winner at the Diversity Awards NZ as well as winning Tomorrow’s Workforce Award. The workforce award was for an initiative to solve an industry-wide shortage of skippers and address a lack of career pathways for maritime staff. The company is now the country’s biggest maritime training employer after the New Zealand Navy, with more than 200 Real Journeys staff holding one or more NZQA Level 2 and 3 qualifications relating to skippers.
Nadi Wellbeing has won Luxury Spa & Wellness Centre in the Luxury Travel Guide 2017 Awards.
The Rees Hotel Queenstown was joint winner of ‘Best NZ Hotel’ and 'Best Hotel Chef' at the prestigious 2017 HM Awards for Accommodation and Hotel Excellence held in Sydney on Friday 1st September.
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| Airlines |
Queenstown Airport has reported a record rise in passenger numbers to 1.89 million passenger movements through the airport in the year to June 2017, a 15% increase on the previous year. Total passenger numbers increased 16% year-on-year. International traffic grew 7%, and domestic growth came in at 20%. Arrivals peaked in the fourth week of June with the beginning of the school holiday period, and 25 June was the busiest day in June, the day after the first Lion’s test in Auckland.
Queenstown Airport also experienced a record month of passenger movements in July, reaching more than 200,000 total passenger numbers for the first time, due to school holiday travel and the Lions tour. Total passenger numbers increased 15% against last July, made up of growth of 12% year-on-year on Tasman routes, and a 17% year-on-year increase in domestic passenger movements across all routes. The rolling 12-month passenger number reached 1.9 million, up 15% year-on-year against the previous 12-month period.
Air New Zealand is gearing up for a bumper summer, adding more flights to its domestic schedule to deliver 180,000 extra seats between November 2017 and March 2018, compared with the same period last year. Air New Zealand is also adding 60,000 seats this summer on the Auckland / Queenstown route. The airline is planning to add an average of eight additional return services a week to and from the resort town.
Queenstown Airport Park and Ride has launched. The service is operated by an 11-seater shuttle with luggage trailer running every half-hour, coordinated with airline schedules. The service can scale up capacity and frequency if needed.
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| Accommodation Update |
Meetings and conferences at Hotel St Moritz will have a fresh look and feel following a multi-million-dollar refurbishment. Hotel St Moritz, a member of the global MGallery by Sofitel collection, announced the $4million-plus room transformation as a result of joining the Sofitel brand.
The upgrades include new furniture in the lobby, restaurant Lombardi and boutique conference and incentive venues The Library and The Den.
Smaller groups can enjoy a tailored experience in The Library.
There is also newly upgraded high-speed internet. |
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| Azur Lodge's nine luxury villas have completed a soft refurbishment including new carpet in July. Each villa is identical including 79sqm of open plan living incorporating a lounge, dining area, a private sun deck with a choice of either a king or twin beds. The spectacular unobstructed views from the bathtub gives guests a feeling of being outdoors |
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| Activities |
Off Road Queenstown has expanded its Central South Island operation with new tailor-made private expeditions on four wheels or two. The tours take in high country stations, river crossings on off-road journeys can that go from coast to coast. These private group packages are all-inclusive of buggies/ dirt bikes, gear, accommodation, meals, transfers and land access. It caters for all ability levels and youngsters as young as six (accompanied by adults).
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Southern Discoveries has launched new coaches for its day trip to from Queenstown to Milford Sound. The brand new coach offers extra-wide glass-roofed coaches feature reclining seats, multi-lingual commentary, extra legroom, are fitted with Wi-Fi and USB ports and are toilet equipped. The Coach & Scenic Cruise day trip began 1 August and the Coach & Nature Cruise excursion will launch 1 October.
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Glacier Southern Lakes Helicopters have been endorsed by Qualmark & awarded gold level certification - New Zealand's only Qualmark Gold helicopter operator. They have the largest and most modern fleet of Airbus Helicopters in New Zealand. They only operate large turbine engine, 6-seater helicopters – most suited to the mountainous environment. Its fleet consists of AS350 B2 Squirrels, an AS350 B3e Squirrel and a luxury Airbus H130 T2.
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| Venues Update |
| Yonder, the new food and beverage concept of World Bar owners Steve Ward and Gary Livesey has opened in historic McNeills Cottage. Yonder will serve Atomic Coffee Roasters barista coffee and stock some of New Zealand’s finest beers. The venue has a focus on bringing original and interesting acts, performances and events to Queenstown’s CBD. |
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| Key Dates and Events |
20-23 October - Queenstown Jazzfest
October 2017 marks the 40th Queenstown Jazz Festival and the continued evolution of this iconic annual music event. Four days of live entertainment woven into the fabric of downtown Queenstown bringing world class musicians from far and wide and showcasing the diversity of the jazz genre.
18 November - Queenstown Marathon
An international running festival incorporating 42km, 21km, 10km and 3km kids run options. Set between the backdrop of the world renowned Crown and Remarkable mountain ranges, and taking in the best highlights of the Queenstown Lakes region including Millbrook Resort, Arrowtown, Lakes Hayes, Shotover River, Lake Wakatipu, Queenstown Gardens and finishing in the heart of Queenstown itself.
Industry events
10 -12 October – IMEX America
30 October – 4 November – Destination Queenstown ‘Queenstown Week’
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| Other Key Events |
Throughout the year Queenstown offers a fantastic range of fun, serious, artistic, sporting and cultural events which can provide added value to your clients’ holidays.
For more details and a preview of upcoming autumn key events please click here.
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| Your Queenstown Convention Bureau Team |
Louise Clark
Queenstown Convention Bureau Sales & Marketing Manager
Destination Queenstown
PO Box 353 | 50 Stanley Street | Queenstown 9300 | New Zealand
DDI: +64 3 441 0709 | Mob: +64 27 600 6624
louisec@queenstownNZ.nz | queenstownNZ.nz
Follow us on Twitter @Purequeenstown
‘Like’ us on Facebook QueenstownNZ
Instagram @queenstownnz |
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Jana Kingston
Business Development Manager Australia
Destination Queenstown
PO Box 79 | Moorabbin | VIC 3189 | Australia
DDI: +61 3 9551 8968 | Mob: 0422 299 177
janak@queenstownn.nz |queenstownNZ.nz
Follow us on Twitter @Purequeenstown
‘Like’ us on Facebook QueenstownNZ
Instagram @queenstownnz |
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