New Zealand's continuing popularity as a visitor destination is fuelling demand from overseas travel and tourism marketers wanting to come to TRENZ 2019, our $39.1 billion tourism industry's most important annual business event.

TRENZ 2019 takes place in Rotorua, 13-16 May, and will be attended by 386 buyers from around the world, up from 383 last year.

They will engage in four days of networking and meetings with around 300 of the country's leading tourism operators (known as sellers), who will be showcasing their products and services.

'These buyers will be looking to reconnect with established New Zealand tourism businesses and seeking out new and exciting visitor experiences they can promote to consumers in their home markets,” says Chris Roberts, Chief Executive of Tourism Industry Aotearoa which manages TRENZ.

'They are the most influential travel and tourism buyers in terms of sending international visitors to New Zealand.”

He says the buyers are coming from 30 markets, up from 27 last year.

'As expected, we are seeing very good representation from our big visitor markets, including China, Australia and the USA. We are also seeing good growth out of developing markets where the industry is working hard to grow high-value visitors, such as Argentina, Brazil and Indonesia.

'There is also good representation out of India, an important market because of a preference to travel here in the spring and autumn, which helps spread visitor arrivals across the year.”

Mr Roberts thanked TRENZ Premier Sponsor Air New Zealand for flying the majority of buyers from around the world to attend the event.

Air New Zealand Chief Executive Officer Christopher Luxon says TRENZ is a fantastic platform to showcase New Zealand culture and experiences to a global travel trade audience.

'TRENZ is a highlight on the New Zealand tourism calendar and plays a really important role in highlighting New Zealand's diverse range of attractions to an influential network of international trade and media.

'At this year's event Air New Zealand will be showcasing our mixed reality game, made in conjunction with US start-up Magic Leap and global creative studio Framestore. The travel quiz game brings to life some of the great things to do in New Zealand and we look forward to sharing it with TRENZ delegates for the first time.”

Over the four-day event, buyers and sellers will have a total of 30,000 15-minute meetings. It is business ‘speed dating'.

'The majority of buyers tell us that TRENZ is the most important New Zealand tourism product purchasing activity they undertake. Key to this is their ability to meet a large number of top tourism operators face to face in one location,” says Mr Roberts.

'The deals they make and the relationships they build at TRENZ 2019 in Rotorua will generate tens of millions of dollars' worth of new tourism business for the New Zealand economy, benefitting communities across the country.”