Recent News and Events

TRENZ is only a month away
New Zealand's largest and internationally acclaimed tourism trade event - TRENZ (Tourism Rendezvous New Zealand) 2004 will take place in Christchurch at the  Westpac Centre, Addington, from 24 May 2004 to 27 May 2004.
Emirates to start service
Emirates, the Dubai-based international airline, announced on April 1 that it will fly to Christchurch from 10 June, marking its second footprint in New Zealand after Auckland, which joined the Emirates route network in August last year.
National Geographic rates the South Island
National Geographic Traveler magazine and the National Geographic Sustainable Tourism Initiative conducted a first-of-its-kind poll in 2003, aided by Leeds Metropolitan University, U.K. The South Island ranked second in the world as a sustainable tourist destination.

Sites Added

Hurunui High Country Track
Private walking track (30Km/2 or 3 day options) situated on Island Hills Station, inland from Culverden.
NZ Walking and Adventure Festival
Annual festival based in Methven in April. Walking/tramping programme for all levels of fitness and related adventure activities.
Lynian Park Country Bed and Breakfast
Bed and breakfast accommodation in Oxford, North Canterbury
Vegetarian Restaurants in Christchurch
Listing of vegetarian and vegetarian friendly restaurants from the New Zealand Vegetarian Society.

Viewpoint

Marketing New Zealand’s Natural Resources

A New Zealand Tourism Board initiative three years ago has given eight groups of New Zealand tourism operators the strength and resources in numbers to market their operations globally over the past year. Marketing Networks were set up for Backpackers, Cruises, Education, Freshwater Fishing, Multi-day Guided Walks, Nature Tourism, Japanese School Excursions, and Skiing.

The marketing networks are each made up of a number of operators working towards the common goal of marketing their service and destination offshore. Tourism New Zealand helped each group grow their business by working on business plans for the individual sectors, identifying key markets and developing marketing strategies. Members of each marketing network pay a fee to belong to the group, and have to fulfil the criteria set down in each network’s charter. The system has been greatly beneficial to many smaller operators, who had neither the capital nor marketing expertise to promote their brands successfully offshore.

Outgoing Tourism New Zealand Marketing Networks Manager Euan Purdie says the system has been extremely successful. Now that the networks are set up and are running successfully, Tourism New Zealand is standing back from the operation. A representative from Tourism New Zealand will keep a watching brief on the networks to ensure they are operating within Tourism New Zealand guidelines, but ultimately each group will stand alone.

The Nature Network, a very successful model, is set to become an incorporated society and will employ a secretariat out of one of its members’ offices. Nature Network operators must adhere to strict guidelines set out in the Nature Network Charter, which sees them practising sustainable management and best practice for ecologically sustainable tourism, and promoting and participating in conservation projects in their tourism area.

‘The Nature Network operators have shown how successfully tourism and nature can work together,’ says Purdie. ‘Many of the operators are wholly responsible for having a huge positive impact on nature. For example, the yellow-eyed penguin operation Penguin Place in Otago has wholly funded their conservation project through guided tours. Likewise the Hector’s dolphin programme in Lyttelton.’

Buried Treasures

Spotlight on some localeye resources ...

Planning a Conference or Special Event?

localeye's listing of  Conference and Special Event Accommodation reveals the wide range of options available in Canterbury. Whether it's an city location like the University of Canterbury campus which provides accommodation and meeting venues on a large scale or the intimacy  and country setting of  the Mount Lyford Lodge, Canterbury has a lot to offer.