For the past two weeks, Ruth Atherley - a PR Consultant
working for Tourism New Zealand in Canada - has been blogging about
her experiences in New Zealand, including her second TRENZ
event as Tourism New Zealand's official TRENZ Blogger.
Sitting in the lounge at Auckland Airport, as I wait for my
Qantas flight back to Canada, I have some time to reflect on the
past few days at TRENZ. It was a fast and furious experience and my
mind is full of ideas and opportunities to promote New Zealand in
Canada.
Having the opportunity to meet many New Zealand operators while
at TRENZ - in my dual role as Canadian PR representative and TRENZ
blogger (http://trenzblog.com/) - has been of huge
benefit to me. There is nothing like hearing about an activity,
attraction, event or accommodation directly from the person who
owns or manages it.
Making human connections
Kiwis seem to have a real passion for what they do and that
often came across when we met at TRENZ.
I went from appointment to appointment, getting more and more
excited about the incredible things visitors can do and see in New
Zealand. Plus, there are so many amazing places to stay!
Back in Canada, at our PR agency office, the team laughed at me
whenever I Skyped or emailed to say "I just talked to the best tour
operator EVER!" They'd get this several times a day during my
time at TRENZ.
TRENZ is an important event and one that, I believe, is of great
value to the tourism industry in New Zealand. I think the social
functions are as important as the appointments because these events
allow buyers, exhibitors, media and industry leaders to connect as
people, one on one.
Activities, adventure - and Kiwis
There are a lot of activities in New Zealand that Canadians are
interested in: from high adrenaline adventure, to the Classic New
Zealand Wine Trail, to learning more about Māori culture, and
indulging in the great food New Zealand has to offer.
TRENZ empowers me with information on the huge range of
activities on offer and what is special about each village, town,
city or region. But, I have to say, in my experience no matter how
much fun visitors have in New Zealand, it always comes down to the
people they meet
At the heart of the New Zealand experience is the Kiwis and
their friendly, open, good-natured approach. I think that is the
biggest asset New Zealand has in respect to tourism.
Having the opportunity to attend TRENZ each year energizes my
soul and inspires me to approach life the way New Zealanders do -
with an open heart and a great sense of humour. It also inspires me
to go on a diet and quit drinking when I go home, but I don't think
I can totally blame that on TRENZ or my fun-loving tourism
colleagues!
Blog a social success
Writing TRENZblog.com has been an opportunity for me to
engage with New Zealanders in the tourism field, and with travel
industry professionals and travel media (consumer and trade)
throughout the world.
While the blog isn't quite finished for the season - I still
have several posts to write - early numbers tell us that the number
of unique viewers is similar to last year (in the thousands) and we
have had visitors from all over the world.
One of the more interesting things to note is that people are more
engaged this year. There are more people on Twitter and Facebook
and they are sharing the links to TRENZblog with their friends and
communities.
Readers have stayed on the blog almost twice as long as last
year. So either I am getting far more interesting (!!) or we are
just hitting our stride in reaching out to those who might not be
able to make it to TRENZ physically but still want to know
what is going on. Social media is allowing us to expand the reach
of TRENZ and that's an exciting opportunity.
As always, I am sad to leave New Zealand. But I head home to
Canada inspired, energized and ready to share my excitement and
everything I learned from TRENZ with the media in Canada. There is
so much to tell them about the great things that can be done, seen,
eaten and drank in New Zealand. I have to admit, I love my job!
http://trenzblog.com/
Read more about
Canada in our market guide