SAVE THE DATES!           Monday 17 and Tuesday 18 August 2015 

Congratulations to Enterprise Dunedin who were successful with their bid to host the 2015 Tourism Export Council Conference!

Big benefits are set to come to Dunedin after it was announced the region will host the 2015 Tourism Export Council Conference. The decision was announced after the Tourism Export Council Board received bids from six competing destinations, 4 from the South Island and 2 from the North Island.

Chief Executive Lesley Immink says that after two years of the Conference being hosted in the North Island, it was great for it to be returned to the far south. The Enterprise Dunedin team put in a ‘winning’ bid with great engagement and support from tour operators Larnach Castle, Scenic Hotel Group and their key stakeholder, the Dunedin District Council.

John Christie, newly appointed Director for Enterprise Dunedin is absolutely delighted. “This is fantastic.  It will bring the top New Zealand inbound holiday destination decision makers to the Dunedin and wider region and give us and every tour operator in the region a real vehicle to promote their products,” he says. “Dunedin last hosted the Conference in 2003 and the region saw a big rise in awareness and visitor numbers surge”.

Mr Christie says being awarded the conference was the culmination of years of hard work by the regional tourism organisation of working closely with inbound operators and educating them about the region. “We can’t under-estimate how much value this conference means to us. It is an exciting opportunity to showcase the Dunedin region and over the coming months we will be calling on other tourism operators in the region to be involved.”

Mrs Immink says that getting tourism operators to different parts of the country is a key part in educating them on the attractions and activities on offer. “Dunedin has a growing reputation as a visitor destination and we know that Enterprise Dunedin will do a great job in ensuring that delegates from around New Zealand and overseas will see it at its very best.”

The dates for the August 2015 conference are Monday 17 and Tuesday 18 August.