Kia ora!

Welcome to autumn in Queenstown. The golden and red hues dominate the hills around the region and contrast with the deep blue of our lakes and rivers—here you can truly immerse yourself in the wonder of the season.

With this new season, we also welcome popular domestic conferencing months here in Queenstown and warmly welcome a variety of industries and business communities into our region to meet, explore, learn, connect and grow.

For those in the Auckland region, we are looking forward to connecting with you in person at our QCB Networking evening at Auckland Park Hyatt in April. See more information below.

We would like to mention a special thanks to Sophie Koehler, Business Development Executive, who after 2.5 years with Destination Queenstown is leaving the team to embark on a new challenge. Sophie has been such an integral part of the recovery of our industry and a highly valued member of the team. We wish her all the very best for her new role.

For our clients, colleagues and friends in the Northern regions, know that we are thinking of you and sending best wishes. If there is any support we can offer please don’t hesitate to reach out. 

Warm regards,
Sarah, Jana, Tracy & Sophie

Queenstown Update

Queenstown town centre upgrades and district roading and Infrastructure enhancements (including the new arterial road) are progressing well, with exciting developments underway in the region. 

We are pleased be a feature piece in the Meeting Newz Jan/Feb edition focused on sharing the beginnings of our Regenerative Tourism Journey and our goal of becoming a carbon zero visitor industry by 2030. This piece also celebrates some of the great sustainability stories from our Queenstown Lakes suppliers as well as some industry updates and news in the region. Read the full article here.

We're excited to present you with our latest Nine Month Forward Outlook which indicates the current levels of forward-looking accommodation occupancy in Queenstown for the months of March - November 2023. If you are considering Queenstown as a business event destination for the remainder of the year, we highly encourage having a look at this resource to help decisions around dates for your events to when Queenstown will deliver the optimal experience for your delegates. Any Questions? Contact the QCB team directly. 

Travel & Aviation Update

  • NZ Traveller Declaration will be revamped in June 2023. The task of filling in a passenger arrival card will be no more for travellers entering New Zealand. Customs NZ is replacing the manual arrival card all travellers have to fill out on a plane with a revamped digital version of the NZ Traveller Declaration.
  • Air New Zealand and Airbus's hydrogen partnership is entering the next stage with the inclusion of New Zealand's key hydrogen ecosystem players. The hydrogen consortium will seek to advance hydrogen-powered commercial flights and develop hubs at airports across the country.
  • Delta Airlines has confirmed that it will start flying to New Zealand in October 2023 with its Los Angeles-Auckland route.
  • More flights to Shanghai. Air New Zealand has expanded its flight offerings to Shanghai, China to fly three times a week and is moving to four passenger services a week from 4 February, taking its weekly capacity to 1,200 seats. 
  • Emirates will be relaunching its Dubai-Christchurch route in March.
  • Encourage visitors to be prepared.  New Zealand Search and Rescue, Tiaki and the Department of Conservation have teamed up to create a two-minute video that provides advice and key safety messages to international and domestic visitors- 'Beautiful, wild, unpredictable: Be AdventureSmart in Aotearoa'.
  • The number of working holiday visas for Chinese citizens (aged between 18 – 30) who want to work or study in New Zealand has doubled for 2022 from 1000 to 2000 visas.  
  • Air New Zealand has completed a "successful trial" using biometric verification at the boarding gate at Los Angeles International Airport.
  • Air New Zealand has revealed what the future of flying could look like around the region, unveiling plans for zero-emission planes, with more partners recently announced.
  • Jet Star has announced new direct flights from Auckland to Brisbane in time for Easter.

Regenerative Queenstown Initiatives

The Queenstown Lakes regenerative tourism strategy (including carbon zero visitor economy by 2030) is officially underway following the unanimous endorsement of the Queenstown Lakes District Councillors at their full council meeting. This was the final formal step in the adoption of the region's destination management plan.

Travel to a thriving future, our destination management plan is now available to read and download. More stories can be found on our website.

RealNZ recently began a trapping project at Walter Peak covering 159 hectares. A total of 136 traps were installed, concentrated around the homestead and spread out across the peninsula and along the station boundary. Over the past four months, they have recorded over 100 total kills in traps. RealNZ has seen an increase in the presence of pest species in the last few weeks, so they are keen to get back out there checking and re-baiting.

Canyon Brewing is brewing and growing its own beer to help lower its carbon footprint. They recently harvested their second year of locally grown barley – all part of their ongoing effort to reduce their carbon footprint. Read about how the recent changes made by the company are inspiring its team and how its beer is not just brewed here - it grew up here! 

If there’s an obvious illustration of regenerative tourism, it can be found at the end of the road - the Headwaters Eco Lodge in Glenorchy.   This is a place with a ‘triple bottom line’ philosophy: an award-winning and continually measured commitment to the environment that sees it generate more energy than it uses; design a circular waste management system that feeds into three wetlands; restore the land with native tree and plant species and it benefits residents and local businesses with all their profits fed back into the Glenorchy Community Trust.

Accommodation Update

Sudima Five Mile Queenstown offers a new conference package which includes 1x complimentary accommodation room upgrade for every 10th room secured as well as 1x FOC drink with a selection of shared nibbles depending on guest numbers and availability. The offer is valid until 30 June 2023.

Millennium Hotel Queenstown is currently undergoing a major refurbishment including all rooms and bathrooms with walk-in showers, due for completion by the end of 2023.

Lodge Lorien is the perfect luxury escape for small incentive & VIP groups, surrounded by dramatic mountain ranges only a 45-minute drive or 15- minute helicopter ride from Queenstown Airport. The lodge can accommodate up to 8 guests in total and offers a private helicopter pad, concierge service, a private gym, steam room and gym as well as a wine room and lounge areas. 

Check In Queenstown is a digital concierge service offering elevated Queenstown stays perfect for executive retreats and small VIP groups. Check In hand-pick the perfect luxury accommodation property depending on the needs of your group and offer a 24 hour a day concierge service to provide local knowledge and a stress-free way for itinerary suggestions.  

Venues Update

The Bathhouse has recently reopened. The refreshed heritage building is open to diners seven days a week from sunrise to sunset. The Bathhouse Lakefront Restaurant is an à la carte dining destination during the day, hosting events in the evenings for up to 100 guests.

Le Salon Rouge is Queenstown's newest concept lounge and nestled with the luxurious Sofitel Queenstown Hotel and Spa. The pride of place are eight signature cocktails, each of which have a dedicated story associated with them. Complementing the cocktail offerings is a menu featuring grazing plates and New Zealand cheeses. Le Salon Rouge is available for groups for up to 60 guests.

Skyline Queenstown will close its operation from 23 April until early July 2023 for the big changeover of the new gondola. The installation marks the end of an era of the iconic Skyline 4-seater gondola, making way for the new 10-seater gondola. For more information, please click here.

Queenstown's iconic TSS Earnslaw will go on its annual survey from 15 May until 26 June 2023. Walter Peak will still be operational and RealNZ is accepting bookings for Walter Peak dining and farm tours during this duration.

Mountain Club is a members club with two world-class venues located in the heart of Queenstown. Mountain Club Five Mile offers workspaces ranging from 1 - 12 person meeting rooms. At Mountain Club Beach St, enjoy the breathtaking views of Lake Whakatipu and the comfort of the lounge and bar. This stunning venues holds up to 100 pax and has a wide range of hospitality options.

Activities Update

BLACK has added an additional Mercedes Sprinter (11 seater) to their fleet. This increases their ability to carry more small groups and families in the future.

Altitude Tours has added two new vans - Cecil and Walter to their fleet. These modern 16-seater Mercedes Sprinter vans help open additional capacity across their tours, in particular Milford Sound.

Professional Touring has been providing luxury transport options for many years in and around the Queenstown region. They have continued to grow our fleet again over recent months with a new 16-seat Mercedes Sprinter, all with leather seats & Phone charging ports.

Industry Update

There are a few spots left to attend our networking evening in Auckland on 19 April to connect with Queenstown C&I suppliers. There will be an update on new product and regional developments from the QCB team and by attending the event, you will go into the draw to win a 3-night luxury Queenstown prize package, worth over $4,000. Click here to express your interest in attending the event.

QCB is excited to share the launch of the new Business Events Microsite. Our redeveloped site has created a smoother navigation for all those looking for inspirational content, planning resources and updates on what's new in the Business Events space in Queenstown.

Awards and Accolades

  • Queenstown officially ranks as one of the most loved destinations in the world. Queenstown has been ranked 25th of the 100 most loved destinations in the world by the Tourism Sentiment Index, which measures online content and conversations about thousands of global destinations. Queenstown is the only New Zealand destination to make the list. Last year, Queenstown ranked 44th.
  • Ziptrek Ecotours was named one of ‘Six of the best adventures in New Zealand' by National  Geographic UK.  The article, which notes that ‘carbon-neutral Ziptrek also restores native forests through tree-planting programmes’, was published in the Jan/Feb 2023 issue of National Geographic Traveller (UK).
  • The South Island and Queenstown have topped the U.S. News best vacations rankings as #1 of the world’s best places to visit. U.S. News uses expert opinions, reader votes and current trends (including evaluated sights, cultures, scenic beauty, and food options to compile the list). Paris is second.
  • Air New Zealand was named Design Airline of the Year Oceania 2022 at this year’s TheDesignAir awards, with the announcement of a new cabin product in 2024 and the introduction of a new culinary proposition and sustainable serviceware that will reduce inflight plastic dishes by 28 million every year. 

Key Dates & Events

Discover more events in Queenstown with a complete guide to our best attractions.

Your Queenstown Convention Bureau Team

Sarah McDonald
QCB BD Manager & Marketing Manager
+64 27 448 8030
sarahm@queenstownNZ.nz
 Sarah McDonald
Jana Kingston
BD Manager- Australia & North America
+61 422 299 177
janak@queenstownNZ.nz
 Jana Kingston
Tracy Cui
BD Manager, Asia
+64 21 246 1828
tracy@queenstownNZ.nz
Sophie Koehler
BD Executive
+64 27 2293 5445
sophiek@queenstownNZ.nz
 Sophie Koehler