Queenstown and Auckland in tour in the USA

Queenstown and Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland tour operators are currently visiting the United States to showcase the Auckland-Queenstown experience to media and travel advisors in an effort to lift visitation numbers from key locations back to pre-Covid-19 levels.

The ‘Auckland and Queenstown USA Roadshow’ is the first major tourism promotion from the partnership between the region’s economic and cultural agency Tātaki Auckland Unlimited, Destination Queenstown and Auckland International Airport Limited.

Officially kicked off on 30 March, the roadshow sees the group visiting key trade partners in New York, Chicago, Dallas, San Francisco and Los Angeles, where it concludes on 7 April.

The tour aims to promote three nights in Auckland and three nights in Queenstown as a foundation of an Aotearoa New Zealand itinerary for US travellers. Fundamentally, the roadshow will highlight Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland as the most connected city in Australasia to North America with year-round, direct flights on offer from eight North American cities.

The US roadshow features 17 different tour operators, spanning an impressive range of unique attractions and accommodation providers. Auckland operators include Waiheke’s EcoZip Adventures, Terra and Tide guided tours, the All Blacks Experience, Wētā Workshop, the luxury Te Arai Links golf course plus a line-up of premium hotel accommodation.

Annie Dundas, Head of Visitor Economy at Tātaki Auckland Unlimited, says, “We are excited to be positioning these two complementary destinations to trade partners in the US. This roadshow capitalises on the extensive airline schedules connecting Auckland to North America while bringing to the fore world-class experiences and adventures that will really appeal to this market.”

“In 2019, prior to the border closures related to Covid-19, 46 per cent of all US visitor spend in New Zealand was in Auckland and Queenstown. Additionally, more than 80 per cent of North American visitors to New Zealand landed in Auckland. The US market is now the second largest market into New Zealand, behind Australia. This roadshow is an important step in tourism recovery to pre-Covid levels which will ultimately lift the prosperity of the Auckland region while providing flow-on benefits to the rest of New Zealand’s tourism industry and economy,” says Annie Dundas.

The roadshow is made possible by significant funding from Auckland International Airport Limited in conjunction with the participating New Zealand tour operators, Tātaki Auckland Unlimited and Destination Queenstown.

Main image: Tātaki Auckland Unlimited