TBM Staff - Mumbai Tourism New Zealand’s trade event, Kiwi Link returned with a spectacular buzz this year as it welcomed travel trade partners from Asia to reconnect with New Zealand tourism businesses. After two years, Kiwi Link Asia 2022 took place in Singapore between 29 – 31 August 2022.
Kiwi Link Asia provided a unique opportunity for representatives of the New Zealand tourism industry to educate and establish business relationships with key travel partners from India, Singapore, Malaysia, Japan and South Korea. From one-on-one appointments with product managers to networking opportunities at official events, the event was the one-stop destination for all things travel related to New Zealand.
Fifteen buyers from India attended the event, which included Thomas Cook India, MakeMyTrip Kulin Kumar Holidays, Kesari Tours, Veena World, FCM Travels and Pathfinders Holidays among others. The event saw Indian buyers engaging with 55 industry operators across New Zealand such as Air New Zealand, Hobbiton Movie Set, Scenic Hotel Group and more, giving a holistic understanding of the product offerings and building deeper connections.
Elaborating on the event, Gregg Wafelbakker, General Manager – Asia, Tourism New Zealand said, “With the New Zealand borders having opened to the rest of the world on 1 August 2022, this was the perfect time to reconnect with the Indian travel trade fraternity to showcase destination New Zealand and the ever-growing Kiwi hospitality.”
He also added, “Kiwi Link Asia was a splendid platform that enabled key Indian buyers to reconnect with New Zealand and its wide range of offerings, thus enabling them to promote the destination better and support conversions. We are ecstatic to see the turnout this year and we’re looking forward to Summer 22/23 and beyond as we welcome back visitors. India is one of the priority emerging markets for Tourism New Zealand and Kiwi Link Asia provided a great opportunity to strengthen our partnership with our travel trade partners in India.”
Speaking about the experience, Pratik Shah, COO, Kulin Kumar Holidays, said, “One of the key reasons for me to attend Kiwi Link Asia was to meet old and new suppliers, get product updates and to re-establish the partnerships we’ve had in the past. It was one of the finest Kiwi Link, of the many that Kulin Kumar Holidays has participated in. Great platform to connect and know the key teams in Tourism New Zealand too!
Mansi Bhalaria, CEO, Travelties, said, “My key objective behind attending Kiwi Link Asia was to understand the destination, get product updates from operators and to know about the post pandemic situation in New Zealand. The entire experience was warm and overwhelming, and it felt amazing to have met friends from India, Asia and New Zealand.”
