23 June 2009

The Aussies are invading! Relax, it’s all part of the plan.

Christchurch International Airport Ltd (CIAL) congratulates South Island tourism operators on their efforts to attract Australian tourists to the region, saying their efforts have contributed greatly to record numbers visiting New Zealand. 

Gareth Owen, General Manager Marketing and Business Development at CIAL, says that the airport has seen a massive influx in Australian visitors arriving, especially since the start of winter.   

“In May alone, we saw an increase in arriving Australian nationals of nearly 30 per cent on the previous year – that’s over 6,500 more Australians than in May of last year. CIAL and its partners, including ski and tourism operators, have put a lot of effort into a number of Australian campaigns – it’s great to see all that hard work paying off.” 

Mr Owen says it makes sense for tourism operators, including CIAL, to be working together to attract tourists to the region.  

“With several major Australian cities three hours flying time away – and 8 million potential skiers in Melbourne and Sydney alone – it makes a lot of sense to be marketing the attractions of our region there,” he said.