A new way for New Zealand’s tourism industry to connect with the international travel trade, anytime and anywhere, has been announced in Otahatui Christchurch at TRENZ Hui 2021.
TRENZ Connect is a digital marketplace where New Zealand’s leading tourism operators will be able to provide product updates and have virtual meetings with travel and tourism buyers from around the globe.
The new platform will allow the international travel trade to access the details of New Zealand tourism businesses 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, no matter what time zone they are in.
“We have looked at other virtual global trade shows, researched what has worked and what hasn’t, and done a lot of thinking around the best solution to help New Zealand operators connect with buyers now and in future,” Tourism Industry Aotearoa Chief Executive Chris Roberts says.
“Traditional trade shows like TRENZ still have a place as nothing beats face-to-face interaction. But the pandemic has taught us that digital platforms are also a valuable way for people to connect when they are unable to travel,” He says.
TRENZ Connect will allow eligible New Zealand tourism operators to showcase their business and products to a wider audience of international buyers, both those who have traditionally attended TRENZ and many more who have not. Businesses using the platform will need to meet traditional TRENZ attendance criteria.
TRENZ Connect will enable virtual in-market meetings, where sellers and buyers can connect in real-time with scheduled appointments.
TRENZ say their new Connect product is designed to be a ‘legacy platform’, supporting future physical TRENZ events.
“Thanks to funding support from the government, listings on the platform will be free for the first year. We are still looking at how it will be funded in the future, but it is likely that tourism operators will need to pay a listing fee,” Mr Roberts says.
TRENZ Connect is scheduled to go live in mid-2021.
Find out more about TIA: www.tia.org.nz