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THE establishment of a new Sydney-based BDM has resulted in Positively Wellington Tourism’s Convention Bureau hosting a 15-strong trans-Tasman contingent. With the potential to bring millions of dollars worth of new business to the capital, the three-day ‘Wellington in the Spotlight’ familiarisation took in the city’s hotels, venues, sights and activities. PWT ceo David Perks said “The Australian visitor market is thriving for Wellington’s $2200 a minute tourism industry, with a 16% increase in direct arrivals into Wellington Airport in 2011 – five times the national growth. “Now that we’ve built a significant profile platform, we’re in a position to target the conventions sector across the Tasman much more aggressively,” he enthused. The conference and incentive market is estimated to be worth close to $100 million per year to the capital, but trans-Tasman business currently makes up a relatively small part of the sector. “Over the past six months we’ve really started to see the benefit of having a dedicated presence in Australia. “The conventions sector is one where you need to form face-to-face relationships, bring them to the source and aggressively bid for business,” Perks added. The Bureau – a business unit within PWT – has set itself a lofty target of increasing the value of the Australian conventions and incentives market by 60% to $7m in the space of just three years. The group is pictured above overlooking Wellington. |
