Latest news with #MatWoods
Otago Daily Times
26-05-2025
- Business
- Otago Daily Times
Qantas ups summer flights to Queenstown
A Qantas flight takes off from Queenstown Airport. PHOTO: SUPPLIED Is this good news or bad? More Australians are heading our way — crossing the magic million mark, as tourists from across the Ditch head to Queenstown. Qantas yesterday announced five additional flights from Australia into Queenstown over summer. That should push the number of Australian visitors to the resort for the year over the million mark. Between December 15 and January 26, the Australian airline will operate up to six flights per week from Melbourne to Queenstown — it operates four at present — and up to seven flights from Brisbane, which is three more than it now operates. Additionally, it plans to operate up to six more flights between Sydney and Auckland, up to seven more between Sydney and Christchurch and up to five additional flights between Sydney and Wellington each week during that period. There would also be up to five more flights between Melbourne and Auckland and up to three more between Melbourne and Christchurch. In total, it equates to about 60,000 additional seats compared with the same period last year. Destination Queenstown and Lake Wanaka Tourism chief executive Mat Woods said they had been focused on positioning the region as a world-class visitor destination for decades, and Australia was their most important international market. "It's great to see Qantas increasing its capacity directly into Queenstown Airport, adding to Queenstown's appeal as a great place for our Australian neighbours to visit." A Queenstown Airport spokeswoman said the additional flights would provide better connections and more options for local residents travelling for their summer holidays, and noted the resort continued to see "strong demand for transtasman flights, and more passengers per plane". In the 12 months to February this year, 981,033 passengers travelled on flights between Queenstown and Australia. Meanwhile, Queenstown Airport passenger statistics show it is already on track to have a record-breaking year. In 2024, 2,566,584 passengers moved through the airport. In the first four months of this year, 921,539 passengers were recorded, compared with 898,610 for the same period last year.
Otago Daily Times
18-05-2025
- Business
- Otago Daily Times
Tourism groups step up joint work
The Queenstown and Wānaka regional tourism organisations (RTOs) are working together more than ever, creating, it is claimed, both efficiencies and more marketing clout. The co-operation even extends to their leadership, where Destination Queenstown chief executive Mat Woods is now also chief executive of Lake Wānaka Tourism after the latter's head of destination stepped down in March. On July 1, Destination Queenstown and Lake Wānaka Tourism will also operate with the same annual plan. Mr Woods said better co-operation between the organisations had been discussed for 10-plus years. Then, during Covid, both organisations, together with the council, produced a destination management plan. Last year, the two bodies entered a shared-services agreement where data, administration and trade and business events marketing are shared between the two. "It makes sense because when you think about when the trade team goes to America, why would you send someone from Queenstown and someone from Wānaka, when we could actually send one person to talk about both regions?" Now, the two organisations had adopted a fully shared services partnership, which also embraced all their marketing, media and communications activity. "We still have two offices, but it's one lot of staff," Mr Woods said. "There's 31 RTOs in the whole of New Zealand, and we do know the current minister of tourism has said that's too many. So we're ... showing how you can work together."
Otago Daily Times
16-05-2025
- Business
- Otago Daily Times
Promo bodies move closer
Mat Woods is now chief executive of Destination Queenstown and Lake Wanaka Tourism. PHOTO: SUPPLIED The Queenstown and Wanaka regional tourism organisations (RTOs) are working together more than ever, creating, it's claimed, both efficiencies and more marketing clout. The cooperation even extends to their leadership, where Destination Queenstown's (DQ) chief executive Mat Woods is now also chief exec of Lake Wanaka Tourism (LWT). He took that dual role when LWT's head of destination stepped down in March. And, as of July 1, DQ and LWT will also operate with the same annual plan. Woods says better cooperation between the RTOs — which exist, unusually, within the same Queenstown Lakes District Council boundaries — has been discussed for 10-plus years. Then, during Covid, both organisations, together with council, produced a destination management plan. Following that, DQ and LWT last year entered a shared services agreement where data insights, HR and admin and trade and business events marketing are now shared between the two. Woods: "And it makes sense because when you think about when the trade team goes to America, why would you send someone from Queenstown and someone from Wanaka, when we could actually send one person to talk about both regions?" Now, DQ and LWT have adopted a fully shared services partnership, which also embraces all their marketing, media and communications activity. "We still have two offices, but it's one lot of staff," Woods says. "There's 31 RTOs in the whole of New Zealand, and we do know the current Minister of Tourism has said that's too many. So we're ... showing how you can work together." Wood says as operational efficiencies are being made, "there is more to be able to spend on marketing, promotion and member capability". DQ and LWT are keeping separate offices and boards — "we want to ensure we retain the two distinctive brands", Woods says.
