ITC Industry News Bulletin #78
In this week’s airline, travel and tourism news, NZ is dominating Indian travel searches, Christchurch Adventure Park is set to open, and much more.
TOP STORIES
New Zealand the most searched destination by Indian travellers
Following Sidharth Malhotra’s extremely successful second visit to New Zealand, Skyscanner has released data that shows New Zealand is at the top of Indian travellers’ searches.
In fact, the volume of searches has increased by 52 per cent. Australia trailed not far behind with a 47 per cent increase in searches.
Much of this success has been put down to Malhotra’s genuine love of the country. During one of his visits he said “I feel like I am in paradise. It’s heaven on earth”.
During his time in New Zealand, the Bollywood star enjoyed visits to major cities as well as rural areas, experiencing some of the country’s most iconic attractions such as the Sky Tower walk, bungy jumping in Queenstown, and a tour of Hobbiton in the Waikato.
Christchurch Adventure Park set for opening next month
Despite a few small hiccoughs along the way, Christchurch’s newest attraction is set to open in December. The park has been dealing with a recent spate of thefts and occurrences of hunters in the park, but the creators have managed to continue as planned.
It will feature 100 kilometres of downhill mountain biking trails, rock climbing areas, 2 kilometres of zip lines, and a café/bar that will seat up to 180 people. It’s expected that busy days will attract a few thousand people to the park, and that the chairlift will bring 1,200 riders to the top of the tracks every hour.
The park is also currently auctioning off the very first seat ride up the mountain, with all proceeds going to the Kaikoura earthquake fund.
IN BRIEF
Auckland’s mayor has proposed a ‘visitor levy’ for Auckland accommodation providers, a move that Tourism Industry Aotearoa has deemed ‘ill-conceived’. The goal of the levy is to help pay for the additional facilities required for extra visitor numbers, and is estimated to bring in $20-30 million annually. Read more
Additional 80 flights for Adele fans
International megastar Adele has recently announced two performances in Auckland in March next year. Air New Zealand has followed up by scheduling 80 additional domestic flights to help fans around the country attend her shows. Read more
New bridge to become iconic tourist attraction
A design for a new bridge over the Wairoa River in the Bay of Plenty has been unveiled, and it is hoped that its iconic design will become a new attraction for the region. The plan outlines a single-span, curved bridge that will be part of the Omokoroa to Tauranga Cycle Trail, and is expected to be completed in June 2018. Read more
Tourism New Zealand focuses on road safety for visitors
Tourism New Zealand is planning to work with major local agencies to focus on road safety for visiting drivers. The unique road conditions can be a challenge of international drivers, so messages are being sent to visitors to allow plenty of time for trips, be careful when overtaking, and keep to the left. Read more
The ISPS Handa Open is New Zealand’s leading golf event, scheduled to kick off in March next year. Real Journeys, Eichardt’s Hotel, Coronet Peak and Shotover Jet have all partnered up to sponsor the tournament to help boost Queenstown’s tourism during the open. Read more
Ngai Tahu Tourism wins Maori Business Award
Ngai Tahu Tourism, which operates a number of major New Zealand attractions such as the Shotover Jet in Queenstown and Rainbow Springs, has won the Maori Excellence in Export Award. The accolade was given during the annual New Zealand International Business Awards in Auckland this week. Read more
Posted in News, Travel and Tourism News | Leave a reply