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| Trade Remarks - Winter Update |
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| Welcome |
Happy winter to everyone in the Southern Hemisphere! Queenstown is all go with our ski mountains opening and snow falling. We have a lot to celebrate over the next few months. At the start of the month we kick started with LUMA Southern Lights Project, a four day light festival and next weekend brings the annual Queenstown Winter Festival, the official start to the winter ski season. Needless to say I am excited as town is alive with our fellow skiers, families and people who want to experience the wonder of a Queenstown winter - snow capped mountains and brisk blue bird days in town.
It was lovely meeting so many of you at TRENZ last month in Auckland. From a Queenstown point of view it was great to share all our updates with you but also understand your businesses and how we can support the travel trade to really work together. Please read on for more updates from Queenstown.
Kind Regards,
Sarah Norton
International Market Manager - Western
It was my great pleasure to meet many of you at TRENZ and share the latest product updates from Queenstown. We are also pleased to know that many of your business have experienced a good autumn season and other statistics also shows strong arrival numbers as well as increased expenditure for Queenstown.
Our iconic Winter Festival is less than a week away. I am sure the new programme will 'wow the crowds' and our all-time favorite opening fireworks will again impress many domestic and international visitors. We are very excited about this ski season and we look forward to putting on a fantastic winter holiday for your clients.
Warm Regards,
Ella Zhang
International Markets Manager - Asia |
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| Queenstown Update |
Destination Queenstown has harnessed the voices of visitors who love Queenstown to encourage Australians to visit Queenstown for a ski holiday this winter. The innovative campaign utilised user-generated content (UGC) to showcase the epic experiences available throughout the winter season, both on and off the ski fields.
The video and photos were collected from visitor’s social media channels and curated into action-packed clips. Users could then save images, articles, and accommodation and activity options and build their own ski holiday on the queenstownnz.nz website.
The UGC-based campaign highlighted Queenstown’s extensive ski we are offering, the exciting range of activities and hospitality, via a series of inspiring video edits that were pushed out via DQ’s social media channels under the chapters SkiTown, AlpineTown, SnowTown and FunTown. The edits invited visitors to Queenstown with the premise ‘Our town, Your town – Queenstown.’ |
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| Awards & Accolades |
Queenstown has again been named the number one destination in New Zealand in the TripAdvisor Travellers' Choice Awards 2017.
Queenstown Holiday Park & Motels Creeksyde has been awarded Luxury Eco Friendly Holiday Park of the Year 2017 in the recent Luxury Travel Guide Awards. Creeksyde has been picked as the leading Eco Holiday Park for its commitment to Environmental and Social Sustainability.
Aviation Update
Air New Zealand has the Best Premium Economy Class in the World, and is the Best Airline in the South Pacific, according to the TripAdvisor Travellers’ Choice Awards for airlines. The carrier has also unveiled the seat design for its order of Airbus A320/321neo aircraft which will eventually replace its current A320 fleet.
AJ Hackett has been recognised for his services to adventure tourism in this year’s Queen’s Birthday Honours, receiving a New Zealand Order of Merit.
Hulbert House was named Australasia’s Leading New Hotel, and the Hilton Queenstown was named New Zealand’s Leading Hotel at the World Travel Awards announced in Shanghai this week.
Patagonia Chocolates has scooped three gold awards and four silver at the 21st annual New Zealand Ice Cream Awards. |
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| Aviation Update |
Queenstown Airport has completed a runway grooving project to ensure the airport can operate in all weather conditions. Grooved runways are common around the world and increase surface friction—which is helpful for aircraft landing in wet weather.
Queenstown Airport has almost completed Stage 4 of its infrastructure upgrade project, which will see new layouts at the airport from 1 July, and the launch of Park and Ride from 22 June. The free 2-minute public drop-off lanes will be available alongside free 20-minute express pick-up or drop-off inside the terminal car park. There will also be 450 spaces in Terminal Car Parks A and B close to the terminal building. The Park and Ride facility will have 150 spaces on Brookes Road behind Mitre 10 Mega, including a half-hourly airport shuttle. This will expand to 300 spaces at the end of the year. Read more |
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| Air New Zealand's new look regional lounge has opened at Queenstown Airport. The lounge boasts five different spaces for guests to relax, refresh or work ahead of their flight, and is located on the first floor of the terminal. It features Air New Zealand’s app-enabled coffee service. Read more |
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| Accommodation Update |
| mi-pad hotel will open in 2018 at 4 Henry Street with 57 guest rooms, including four family rooms and four accessible rooms. Guests of the hotel will self-check in. Completion of the hotel is scheduled for November with opening in early 2018. A fully operational website will launch in July. Read more |
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| Holiday Inn Express has proposed to open a property in Queenstown, lodging a resource consent application with QLDC. The 227-room property will be spread across two three- and four-level wings on the corner of Stanley, Sydney and Melbourne streets. Read more |
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| Touch of Spice has been accepted into Virtuoso®’s exclusive portfolio of luxury travel partners, comprised of more than 1,700 preferred suppliers in 100 countries. Read more |
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| Kinloch Lodge introduce brand new EcoScape rooms. These rooms are passive green technology rooms built overlooking Glenorchy and Lake Wakatipu. EcoScape have access to Kinloch Lodge facilities along with a new spa pool overlooking the lake and wharf. Each room is a studio with one bedroom and sitting area. |
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| Camp Glenorchy is New Zealand’s first Net Zero energy accommodation. Ideal for independent travellers and groups seeking natural beauty and a taste of “real” New Zealand hospitality. Phase 1 includes 14 new, well-appointed comfortable rooms, most with ensuite showers and toilets. Due to open January 2017. Read more |
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| Activities Update |
The Remarkables ski area has installed a fully enclosed double conveyor for the learner’s area for the 2017 winter season.
Coronet Peak will run twilight and night skiing on Wednesday evenings in July. Night skiers will be able to enjoy two new additions to the floodlit trails in 2017. |
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| Cardrona Alpine Resort is set to officially open its new ‘Chondola’ combined gondola and chair lift this coming weekend. The resort is also investing more than $1 million on extending its Ski Kindy, with the Kids’ Snow Sports School moving to the same building. Also new for winter 2017 is a slope-side café and bar in the base area—The Lounge and more car parking and snowmaking facilities. Read more |
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| Off Road Queenstown, New Zealand’s first and most experienced off road tour operator, are now exclusively offering both self-drive (2 seater) and guided (6 seater) buggy/UTV tour options on a stunning off road playground site just five minutes from the downtown Queenstown. Offered year round, not weather dependant and popular with couples and families (minimum age 4yo). Read more or contact Gary. |
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| Over the Top has launched an e-bike heli experience with exclusive use of back country trails. The fully-guided e-bike trips cover easy undulating terrain on trails accessed by helicopter, going as far as 20km on OTT’s fleet of e-bikes on the exclusive charter trips. The half-day trip can also be combined with any of OTT’s exclusive excursions. Read more |
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| Milford Sound Select has launched a coach-cruise-heli option for its Milford Sound tours. The scenic heli flight back to Queenstown includes a glacier landing. Read more |
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| Real Journeys has merged its GoOrange, Queenstown Rafting and Kiwi Discovery brands under the Go Orange name. The company offers rafting, kayaking, cruising, cycling, ski and track transport and a range of coach connections around the country. |
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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, reclining seats, multi-lingual commentary, extra legroom, fitted with Wi-Fi and USB ports and are toilet equipped. The Coach & Scenic Cruise day trip begins 1 August 2017, with the Coach & Nature Cruise excursion launching 1 October 2017. Read more |
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| Queenstown Snow Mobiles will be operating again for Winter 2017 - Queenstown Snowmobiles offers the only wilderness snowmobiling experience in New Zealand. All tours are fully guided and cater for all abilities. Read more |
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| Thunder Jet introduces the newest member of the Thunder Jet fleet, Thunder 4! The new first of its kind in NZ comes with a robust list of added extras including and increased capacity for large group transfers and the highest levels of safety exceeding NZ requirements. |
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| Nomad Safaris has introduced two new activities. The 360° Queenstown tours utilise purpose-built UTV (Utility Task Vehicle) to showcase the region’s spectacular scenery accessing an exclusive high country sheep station, high above the resort town. The second product is a fleet of electric bikes, with hire and guided tours available from 1 November. Routes are currently in planning, with options including Arrowtown, local wineries and vehicle transfers for bikes and guests to explore Glenorchy. Read more |
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| Restaurants, Cafes & Bars Update |
| Attiqa has opens its doors in Queenstown Mall. Attiqa is a cocktail and tapas bar with a beautiful view of Lake Wakatipu and Cecil Peak from a large corner window. |
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| Key Dates & Events |
22-25 June
Queenstown Winter Festival is a four day celebration of the start of winter. It’s our festival full of live music, fireworks, comedy, sporting action, après ski indulgence, and mountain madness. Read more
25-10 September
Audi Quattro Winter Games NZ is for the first time featuring events at all of Queenstown and Wanaka’s ski areas; Coronet Peak, The Remarkables, Cardrona Alpine Resort, Treble Cone and Snow Farm. For the first time the ten-day programme (25 August-10 September) includes The North Face Frontier freeride event at The Remarkables, the Para-Snowboard World Cup Banked Slalon at Treble Cone and a three-test ice hockey series between the Ice Blacks and Australia in Queenstown. Read more |
Industry Events
19-23 June 2017- NZ Allstars Roadshow, Australia Read more
12-14 July 2017 - Kiwi Link India 12-14 July Read more
22-28 July 2017- North American Tuko Iho East Coast Roadshow one Read more
16-17 August 2017- TEC Conference, Te Anau Read more
5-14 September 2017- UK/Europe Front line Training Roadshow Read more
17-20 September 2017- Luxperience, Carriageworks, Sydney Read more
27-28 September 2017- RTONZ AGM and TNZ TourismConnect, Auckland
18-22 September 2017- Kiwi Link South America Read more |
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| YOUR DESTINATION QUEENSTOWN TRADE TEAM |
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