Renowned for its picture-perfect backdrops, the South Island of New Zealand is ready to put on a show with new products, experiences, destinations, and a tourism experience that promises to go deeper, having had more than two years to rethink its tourism offering.

“What we’re now saying is that there’s actually a lot more to New Zealand,” Lisa Hopkins, chief executive of Business Events Industry Aotearoa, told TTGmice.

“There’s a lot that’s new but there’s also a greater level of authenticity to the offer and it will be more connected to who we are as a country,” she said.

One of the South Island’s “new” regions is the re-birth of Christchurch, a destination that disappeared from the business events map after the major earthquake of 2011 devastated much of the city’s prized infrastructure, including the Christchurch Convention Centre, and pausing its domination of the conferencing market.

With an international airport just 20 minutes from the city, Christchurch held almost a quarter of the country’s market share prior to the earthquake, and 40 per cent of all Australians coming from “across the ditch” held their conferences in Christchurch.

The rebuild has been slow but as visiting delegates to Meetings in Christchurch in June can attest, the city has left its ruinous landscape well in the dust to showcase a vibrant, redesigned destination complete with the stunning new Te Pae Christchurch Convention Centre.

“What we launched at Meetings is a business events positioning that aligns with the reset that people have been experiencing in the way that we live and work, and also how we meet,” said Megan Crum, ChristchurchNZ’s head of business events.

“Otautahi Christchurch is about finding your space – not just a physical space to hold your meeting but a space to think, reconnect, imagine and create,” she added.

Christchurch now offers hot thermal pools that sit on the edge of the ocean, whale watching and acrobatic dolphins nearby in Kaikoura, and the world’s largest international dark sky reserve at Aoraki Mackenzie that provide perfect conditions for stargazing.

There is also a gondola that sits on the volcanic rim of the city, surrounded by the spectacular scenery one would expect from the South Island, as well as mountain biking and hiking within 10 minutes from the city centre, and almost 30 golf courses to choose from.

The city centre itself has a completely new vibe that is distinct from its pre-earthquake character.

“We now have a range of incredible little secret laneways and boutique shopping and things that, dare I say, echo Melbourne with an international flavour that we never had before the earthquake,” said Crum.

“Also, our Riverside Market, where the whole paddock to plate philosophy is incredibly important and is a wonderful experience for cocktail parties of 1,000 people, is just two minutes’ walk from Te Pae,” she continued.

While Christchurch is rich with opportunities for event activations, it also invites delegates to explore the rest of the island.

Most people would head south towards Queenstown, but another gem of an events destination sits north of Christchurch. Laying claim to one of the country’s highest sunshine areas, Marlborough has been on the radar for many Australian event planners but is often overshadowed by its bigger and more popular city cousins.

Yet, to explore Marlborough is to discover some of New Zealand’s best, especially if delegates are a fan of New Zealand wines. Some 90 per cent of the country’s wines are produced here and there is a plethora of opportunities for meetings on beautiful wine farms.

“We’ve probably been overlooked because lesser people know about us, but we’ve got the greatest ingredients for a small conference or incentive programme,” said Wendy Desiles, business development manager at Business Events Marlborough.

“Anything from four-wheel drives and helicopter tours, to hunting and horse trekking up in the Marlborough high country. You can swim with dolphins and there are some great corporate responsibility opportunities too,” she added.

Marlborough has been hard at work developing its incentive offering, which can include experiences like a private tasting at Louis Vuitton’s Cloudy Bay vineyard or a stay at the secluded Bay of Many Coves resort in Queen Charlotte Sound.

History aficionados will love Peter Jackson’s private collection of aircraft and memorabilia from the first and second world wars at the Omaka Aviation Heritage Centre, perfect for immersive aviation or golden-era themed dinners. Bolder delegates can even go on a “mild to wild” ride in one of the best WW2 fighters called Full Noise.

Noted Desiles: “There’s been a sentiment post-Covid of wanting to support tourism and events in smaller regions and communities. We have ways to focus and tailor the experience to different tastes and cultures, and we have an advantage because there’s such a variety.”

Albeit different from its bright city light cousins, the Northern Territory (NT) hopes to lure corporate explorers back by combining the pristine and the ancient, providing a completely different Australian encounter to Sydney, Melbourne or the Gold Coast.

A key selling point is the state’s naturally adventurous side, which makes perfect sense when it offers a roam through Australia’s largest national park, the UNESCO World Heritage-listed Kakadu covering nearly 20,000km² and is home to ancient rock art, unique flora and fauna and a rich cultural heritage that traces back more than 65,000 years.

And that is just a hint of what is available, with more products appearing in the pipeline to enhance the NT experience.

“Small group incentive options are found NT-wide with high-end lodges, corporate retreats and glamping experiences offering access to unique wilderness environments and nature-based experiences in the Darwin region and nearby Kakadu National Park, as well as in central Australia including Uluru,” said Rebecca McCaig, director of NT Business Events.

“New accommodation offerings among these include the 10 premium eco-tents – The Drovers Dream – at Kings Creek Station, west of Alice Springs, and six luxe suites at Finniss River Lodge, located on a working cattle property approximately 90 minutes from Darwin,” she continued.

Spared most of Australia’s long shutdowns, business events in the NT navigated different border restrictions, and kept operating during much of the pandemic.

Even when only virtual events were feasible, McCaig said the NT Business events team engaged event planners with indigenous Dot-Painting workshops, where art materials were shipped to planners prior to connecting an Aboriginal artist with the group online.

Another group enjoyed a virtual yoga session with yoga mats sent in advance to planners, with the sights and sounds of Uluru forming a calming and peaceful backdrop.

“Planners tell us the NT has strong appeal for international incentives, especially for well-travelled groups who have ‘done’ so many of the more traditional global destinations,” said McCaig.

“There’s a genuine connection between people and place in the NT, and the opportunity to engage in unique and meaningful activities which are just not available elsewhere in the world,” she continued.

Fortunately, delegates do not have to travel the expansive breadth of NT to experience some of its best.

With a firm goal to play bat on the international events stage and a keen eye on the north in Asia to grow its economic future, there has been plenty of work in recent years to meet and exceed the expectations of event planners right within the city centre.

For instance, the Darwin Convention Centre (DCC) revisited its F&B menu to offer its signature, multi-sensory and award-winning Seven Seasons culinary journey, inspired by the Larrakia people who are the traditional owners of the Darwin region.

Under the guidance of DCC’s general manager, Peter Savoff, DCC was announced the best business event venue at the Australian Tourism Awards for 2021.

Savoff highlights that one of the unique propositions DCC is able to offer planners is a “guarantee” of a gala dinner outside under the open night sky.

“Most convention centres would do most of their F&B catering within the walls of the centre. But because we have such perfect weather during our high season, which is also our dry season, it’s no trouble for us to (offer that experience for up to) 750 people under the stars,” he elaborated.

Appreciating the uncertainty of the current times, Savoff also recognised that flexibility would be high on the priority list for many event planners.

“Large business events are an expensive business, so we need to make organisers feel they are not risking everything financially if an event is postponed due to instant government changes, in reaction to any potential spikes in the pandemic,” he said.

“We are also agreeing to hire space based on lower historical contracted delegate numbers, allowing organisers to mitigate their risk. However, we are already seeing evidence that originally lower number contracted events have the capacity to even double in size in the final months and weeks leading up to the event launch date, which is very encouraging,” he observed.

It’s also easy to see why the NT is intent on building its business relationships with Asia.

Both McCaig and Savoff point out the close proximity means flight durations are much shorter for Asian visitors headed to Darwin than to Sydney or Melbourne. More importantly, the NT sees its economic future in its northern neighbours.

As noted by Savoff: “To our south, we have a population of 25 million (but) in the same radius to our north, we have a population of 350 million. So the NT government and DCC are in unanimous agreement that the future of our economy is in our South-east Asian neighbours.

“We were very much on a trajectory of growth prior to Covid and we are now going back to Singapore (where we previously had representation), looking to renew those contracts,” he said.

Better known for decades among island destinations for romantic getaways and honeymoons, the Maldives has recently been attracting families quite successfully.

According to Abdulla Ghiyas, president of the Maldives Association of Travel Agents and Tour Operators (MATATO), one in three visitors to the destination is part of a family group.

“The family travel segment is a growing feature of the Maldives,” he added.

He noted that most new resorts in the destination have child-friendly and childcare facilities, while older villas have been refurbished to cater to this segment.

RIU, for instance, offers two resorts in the Maldives that promise luxury getaways that are also welcoming for the little ones. Guests can enjoy a premium vacation at the all-inclusive Hotel Riu Palace Maldivas, located on the private island of Kedhigandu. Over a convenient footbridge on the neighbouring island of Maafushi stands sister resort Hotel Riu Atoll, where there is the RiuLand kids’ club and children’s pool. Children have access to a daily programme of activities and entertainment.

Petra Gauthey, director of business development Asia with Riu Hotels & Resorts, added that special guest programmes are also designed for celebratory seasons, such as Christmas, while customised activities such as barbecue parties, cocktails and excursions can be arranged by the resort’s staff.

Fairmont Sirru Fen Fushi, another prime example of a resort that puts families at the centre, offers activities for guests of all ages.

“While parents enjoy a relaxing spa treatment or beachfront cocktail at Onu Onu Bar, children are invited to a yoga class, specially designed for little guests, or learn to paint a coconut at our Art Studio,” said general manager Marshall Orton.

Mohamed Khaleel, CEO of both Pulse Resorts and Manta Air, said the Maldives is evolving – it is no longer just an ultra-rich and honeymoon paradise.

His companies are, therefore, moving with the times to market different products now. “We can cater to a market range of US$100 to US$20,000 per night,” he said.

Confident that the family travel segment will continue to grow for the Maldives, Minor International will launch Avani+ Fares Maldives Resort in 1Q2023 – a product that is very much geared towards families, revealed group CEO, Dilip Rajakariar.

The Maldives’ move to lure families is necessary, opined Ghiyas, as room inventory has expanded and properties have to offer more to grow bookings. Reliance on traditional honeymooners and high-end travellers alone will no longer cut it, he opined. – Additional reporting by Karen Yue

Sydney has long been a popular port of call with international visitors, thanks to iconic attractions, a lively culinary scene, and a plethora of cultural and soft-adventure activities to fill out a holiday itinerary.

Destination NSW is banking on this to attract more international tourists to Sydney’s shores, while also working with key distribution partners on a Sydney Plus strategy to drive overnight stays within two to three hours of Greater Sydney.

The Hunter Region – which includes Port Stephens and Hunter Valley – is one such example, both destinations within a three-hour drive radius of Sydney.

“Mono Sydney and Surrounds packages are key itineraries being promoted to drive longer lengths of stay, regional dispersal and visitor spend,” CEO of Destination NSW, Steve Cox, shared with TTG Asia.

Cox added: “Destination NSW, through our NSW First Program, also assists businesses to develop, promote and sell visitor experiences. In 2022, with the support of the NSW First Program, 23 tourism businesses in NSW are launching newly commissionable experiences for inbound and online travel distribution, and this includes 19 from regional NSW.”

One of the newer products is glamping units at the Port Stephens Koala Sanctuary. The sanctuary, which rescues, treats and rehabilitates sick or injured koalas, has been in existence for 33 years, but the 20-unit accommodation was only launched during the pandemic.

“Staying overnight will give guests the opportunity to wake up with the koalas, see them in a natural and idyllic bushland setting, and go on an educational tour with one of our guides to learn about the care and rehabilitation we provide,” Kim Latham, section manager for Port Stephens Koala Sanctuary, elaborated.

Currently, most of the sanctuary’s overnight guests are domestic travellers, but Latham hopes to welcome more international guests in time to come.

Aside from the koala sanctuary, Port Stephen’s other activities include quad biking on the Worimi Sand Dunes, swimming with the dolphins with Dolphin Swim Australia, whale-watching cruises, and camel riding.

Adele Clover, front office manager of 78-key Bannisters Port Stephens, said the hotel’s international market has to be gradually “built back up”.

“In between lockdowns, our occupancy was high (due to) domestic guests. I can see that international tourists (are) slowly coming back, and I expect (it) to hit full stride by summer 2022,” she noted.

In nearby Hunter Valley, Evan Marrinan, general manager of voco Kirkton Park Hunter Valley, is also seeing “small signs of international travel coming back” but acknowledges there is a long way to go.

“Recently, a guest requested an international power adaptor for the first time in years, which seemed to be a signal of things to come and got everyone quite excited!” he shared.

Clive Byrne, owner of Heart of Hunter Tours, shared that now is the “perfect time” to refocus his attention on international guests, and he would love to welcome “more groups from Singapore and South-east Asia”.

Marketing activities on his agenda include promotions on social media, Google, and with OTAs such as Viator and Tripadvisor.

However, one of the main challenges of selling the destination is making sure that international tourists perceive the Hunter Region as a must-visit destination.

“Tourists have limited time and so our region must have great appeal when compared to other destinations, like the Blue Mountains. It’s also critical that we have the necessary infrastructure in place to support visitors, such as transportation, hospitality and accommodation,” Byrne said.

When asked how the region would appeal to non-wine drinkers, Byrne said: “There’s beautiful scenery that’s great for photographers, outstanding restaurants, local chocolate and cheese tastings, wild kangaroos, and a wildlife park where guests can feed kangaroos and pet koalas. There are also hot air balloons and scenic helicopter flights, and spectacular beaches nearby.”