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Tourism Summit Aotearoa 2024

Wednesday 6 November 2024 – Cordis Auckland 

Join industry leaders and influencers at Tourism Summit Aotearoa 2024. 

Widely regarded as tourism’s must-attend thought leadership event, Tourism Summit Aotearoa is a key event on the annual tourism calendar, bringing together more than 300 business and industry leaders from around New Zealand. 

The theme for this year's Summit is Visitor Experience (VX) in a Changing World. 

The way visitors engage with destinations is constantly evolving. Join us for a full day of inspiration and practical knowledge about keeping New Zealand high on travellers’ bucket lists. 

The Summit will be followed in the evening by the prestigious New Zealand Tourism Awards Dinner.  

Keep an eye out on this page for upcoming programme and registration announcements. 

Thank you to our 2023 Tourism Summit Aotearoa supporters 

Tourism Industry Aotearoa

The Tourism Summit Aotearoa is proudly brought to you by Tourism Industry Aotearoa – the voice of New Zealand's tourism industry.

• We lead implementation of the industry's Tourism Sustainability Commitment. Find out how our events are sustainable!  
• We lobby local and central government to shape policies and create an environment that helps our industry grow and flourish.
• We provide leadership on matters that impact on the competitiveness and success of the tourism industry.
• We deliver a comprehensive and diverse range of industry events including TRENZ, New Zealand Tourism Awards, Discussing Tourism regional events and the Tourism Summit Aotearoa.

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TRENZ is New Zealand’s largest international tourism business event and most important event of the year on the tourism events calendar.

TRENZ is Aotearoa New Zealand’s connection to the global tourism trade industry. The year-round experience includes:  

TRENZ - the biggest tourism trade event on New Zealand’s calendar, where industry leaders and representatives gather in person to showcase their products and services to high-quality international and New Zealand travel Buyers.   

TRENZ Connect - an always-on digital marketplace where New Zealand’s leading tourism operators provide product updates to travel and tourism Buyers from around the globe globe 365 days a year. 

Want to get involved?

Register here

The history of TRENZ

TRENZ is a vital part of the New Zealand tourism industry. Originally known as Tourism Rendezvous New Zealand, TRENZ started in the 1960s as an annual travel trade show based in Auckland. The earliest iterations of TRENZ hosted about 30 Sellers and Buyers.  

Today, the TRENZ trade show is a hundred times its original size and boasts an international reputation as a supreme business event.  

TRENZ continues to evolve, innovate and elevate the industry. While borders were closed throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, TRENZ Hui online and national events were held to help New Zealand Sellers prepare for the challenges and opportunities ahead. 

TRENZ Talks, a series of fast-paced and lively speaker sessions featuring cutting-edge content, was launched at TRENZ Hui and continues to evolve.  

The digital platform TRENZ Connect was created to enhance the resilience of our world-leading industry. The platform allows Sellers and Buyers to connect year-round, regardless of time zone or location.  

For those that qualify for the in-person trade show, the platform is also their digital gateway for registrations, pre-event planning and information. 

In 2023, the in-person trade show returned to ensure New Zealand is well positioned on a world stage. The event is expected to have generated $174 of economic impact a minute over four days, with ongoing benefits to the city and New Zealand’s tourism industry. 

In 2024 TRENZ will be held in Te Whanganui-a-Tara Wellington for the first time. The format for 2024 has been remodelled to allow for more time before and after the business meetings for exploration and discovery of the capital city.   

TRENZ MANAGEMENT

TRENZ is brought to you by the Tourism Industry New Zealand Trust and managed by Tourism Industry Aotearoa (TIA). The event benefits from the strong support of its Premier Sponsor Air New Zealand and Official Supporter Tourism New Zealand , as well as a range of prestigious event partners that make TRENZ possible. 

Visit TIA Website

get in touch

If you have any questions about TRENZ, please don't hesitate to call the team on 09 499 0104 or email [email protected]

News & Activity

Friday, September 22, 2023

Tourism New Zealand recognises conference champions

TNZ BE National Awards 2023

By Tourism New Zealand

Tourism New Zealand has recognised the experts who successfully secured international conferences – and all their benefits – for New Zealand over the past year. The conferences New Zealand won in the last financial year are estimated to deliver $63.8m to the economy.

The event recognised the contribution of 45 conference champions from across New Zealand who have successfully bid for and won international conferences.

Tourism New Zealand Chief Executive René de Monchy said, “Tourism is one of New Zealand’s biggest export earners and will be a significant contributor as we face tough global economic conditions.  Business events attract high-quality visitors who enrich our visitor economy and beyond. Conferences provide an opportunity to share knowledge, forge business relationships, and showcase local research, innovation, and our unique culture.  

“In the last financial year alone, New Zealand won 54 international conferences, estimated to be worth $63.8m to our local economy.   A lot of that success comes down to the hard work of talented individuals whose knowledge, influence and passion attract events to our shores.

“Working in sectors ranging from indigenous education to green infrastructure, virtual reality to public health, these New Zealand industry leaders and academics   worked alongside Tourism New Zealand and its convention bureau partners to bid for and secure high-profile conference wins for the country.”

This year, the event has been incorporated into the inaugural New Zealand Business Events Week, spearheaded by peak industry body Business Events Industry Aotearoa (BEIA) to elevate the importance of business events to New Zealand.

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#HNZ24 Hospitality and Accommodation Conference is back!

Hospitality New Zealand is proud to present #HNZ24, a two-day conference and trade show designed for everyone in the Hospitality and Accommodation sectors. 

Join a community of professionals, share experiences and join us in celebrating the industry across two days. Hospitality and Accommodation operators from around New Zealand are invited to attend a two-day Conference and Trade Expo. With panel discussions, workshops, and speeches from well-known and respected experts, we'll focus on our resilient industry's regeneration, reinvention, and growth.

#HNZ24 brings an amazing selection of Hospitality and Accommodation trade exhibitors, and networking opportunities and a personalised conference experience for you and your team. This year we are excited to present over 60 Trade stands in our trade exhibition and trade presentations. 

Tickets Coming Soon

Accommodation Deals

Crowne Plaza

764 Colombo Street, Christchurch City

Standard King or Twin for $275.00 per night

To book: Click here

The Milano Motor Lodge

87 Papanui Road, Merivale, Christchurch

$170.00 per night

To book: Contact The Milano Motor Lodge directly

Quest Cathedral Junction

113 Worcester Street, Christchurch City

$175.00 per night for a Studio apartment

$220.00 per night for a 2-bedroom apartment

To book: Email [email protected]

Roma on Riccarton

38 Riccarton Road, Riccarton, Christchurch

$175.00 per night Standard Room

$185.00 per night Spa Studio Room

$200.00 per night 1-bedroom

$235.00 per night 2-bedroom

To book: Email [email protected]

Rydges Latimer Christchurch

30 Latimer Square, Christchurch City

15% off the best available rate

Fino Hotel and Suites

87 Kilmore Street, Christchurch City

10% off the best available rate

To book: Click here and use promo code FINOHNZ

Wyndham Garden Christchurch

64 Kilmore Street, Christchurch City

15% off by booking directly

To book: Click here and use the code CORP

The Mayfair Hotel

155 Victoria Street, Christchurch City

25% off the best available rate

To book: Click here and use promo code of HNZ2024

West Fitzroy Apartments

66 Armagh Street, Christchurch City

To book: Click here and use promo code HNZAC2024

Camelot Motor Lodge

28 Papanui Road, Merivale, Christchurch

$110.00 per night Studio Room

$220.00 per night 2-bedroom apartment

To book: Email [email protected] and quote Hospitality NZ

12 Hereford Street, Christchurch City

10% off the best available rate and 10% off food & beverage

To book: Click here and use promo code HNZAC24

Interested in Speaking?

Our conference welcomes presentations that are educational, informative, or drawn from personal experiences, and we particularly value a combination of these elements. Industry leaders presenting on thought leadership and their experiences are a perfect fit for our conference.

Please take not that expressions of interest for speaking has a deadline of 28 Febraury 2024. We will be allocating speaker slots as presenters are confirmed, so submitting your expression of interest sooner will enhance your chances of being included in the program.

We eagerly await your valuable industry contributions to make the #HNZ24 Hospitality and Accommodation Conference an exceptional event.  Join us in celebrating your expertise with the industry.

If you have any questions regarding the New Zealand Hospitality Conference, please contact us at [email protected].

© Hospitality New Zealand Incorporated

Tourism 2050: A Blueprint for Impact

Click here to read the strategy released at Tourism Summit Aotearoa 2023

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Every Monday we highlight one of our new or existing members!

Latest International Visitor Data

The latest international visitor data shows that a strong return for overseas arrivals in February, tracking at 87 per cent of pre-pandemic levels (February 2019). 

Busy Summer Puts the Zing Back in Tourism’s Stride

The New Zealand tourism industry’s summer season has ended on a very healthy note, with many tourism operators across the country reporting strong business and even being “rushed off their feet”. 

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Thanks to our strategic partners

Conference Assistance Programme

Tourism New Zealand’s dedicated Business Events team offers flexible, competitive and business-specific funding and support for international conferences. Contact us for more information.

If you’re after Bid Support, please complete our Conference Assistance Programme application, below. Ensure that you review the requirements before getting started. 

The Conference Assistance Programme (CAP) is available to any association or organisation, including universities, that wants to bid to host an international conference in New Zealand with a minimum of 200 international delegates.

The Conference Assistance Programme can assist with:

• A financial feasibility study carried out by a Professional Conference Organiser (PCO) to ascertain the real cost and revenue potential of your conference
• Production of a world-class bid document and presentation to set your proposal apart from the rest
• Funding to cover the cost of presenting your bid to the International Committee, including international travel and accommodation
• Marketing and lobbying strategies designed to increase your chances of winning the bid

Thank you in advance for taking the time to apply.  

Conference Assistance Programme - Application Form

Your details, conference details, what support do you need from tourism new zealand, past conference details.

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Hosting international conferences in new zealand.

• Tourism New Zealand support for helping New Zealanders bid to host international conferences in New Zealand. 
• Letter of support from Royal Society Te Apārangi

Tourism New Zealand support for helping New Zealanders bid to host international conferences in New Zealand 

Tourism New Zealand’s Conference Assistance Programme (CAP) is available to any internationally-affiliated association or organisation that wants to bid to host an international conference in New Zealand.

Support available

The value of each award shall be decided by Tourism New Zealand. Minimum funding is $15,000 rising to over $100,000 for large conventions. The funding support includes:

• A full financial feasibility to ensure that it is viable to host the Conference in New Zealand
• The production of a world class bid document and presentation to present to the international committee
• Full cost of an economy return airfare, registration, accommodation and food costs when attending an international conference to officially propose New Zealand as a future host
• A delegate marketing fund and marketing plan to ensure good delegate numbers are achieved

 Eligibility requirements:

• Applications will only be considered when over 200 international delegates are expected to attend.
• To gain full value of the support, applications should be made when first considering hosting an international conference

 Additional Information and Applications form

More information can be found on the Tourism New Zealand website:   https://businessevents.newzealand.com/en/help-and-support/bid-assistance/

 To apply, complete the link below:

  https://businessevents.newzealand.com/en/help-and-support/bid-assistance/cap-form/

 Please submit any questions to: [email protected]

Bidding for international conferences - letter of support from Royal Society Te Apārangi

Royal Society Te Apārangi issues letters to support bids for holding international research or scholarly conferences in New Zealand if the bringing of the proposed conference will be beneficial to a research or scholarly sector within New Zealand, and is likely to attract leaders in the field to this country. We do not provide financial support for bids, nor contribute as a financial sponsor.

For more information, please contact: [email protected]

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General enquiries: +64 4 472 7421 | [email protected]  | PO Box 598, Wellington 6140

View more on how to  contact us  or use this form to send us an email. 

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25th September 2023 By Sara Barker | [email protected] | @tourismticker

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Trenz conference: launch of online tool part of 'tourism for future'.

Tourism Industry Aotearoa chief executive Rebecca Ingram says the future of tourism will not look like the past. File pic Photo: 123RF

Tourism Industry Aotearoa is launching a new online tool to help businesses become more sustainable.

Tourism leaders are discussing the major issues and opportunities facing the sector during the annual TRENZ conference in Wellington this week.

Tourism Industry Aotearoa chief executive Rebecca Ingram said the future of tourism would not look like the past.

Akiaki - Advancing Tourism was an online tool to make it easier for businesses to learn about sustainability, she said.

"Bouncing back to 2019 is not part of our vernacular.

"Rather we are focused on purposefully creating a resilient and sustainable industry that delivers for the country, our people, our environment and the visitor."

It will offer video presentations, case studies and interactive activities in modules, which will be rolled out to members from the middle of this year.

Late last year, the industry launched its roadmap for the next 30 years, and Ingram said they were starting to put their plan into action.

"By making it easier for businesses to upskill, we are designing tourism for the future and taking the blueprint from a document in a drawer - to the real world," Ingram said.

The learning hub received funding from Te Pūkenga, in partnership with Grow Tourism.

Some businesses are already putting conservation at the centre of what they do.

In Wellington, Zealandia Te Māra a Tanē chief executive Danielle Shanahan said it had a fully fenced ecosanctuary that was providing a safe space to reintroduce native wildlife back into the area.

In the 1990s, there were only 30 pairs of tūī and no kākā in Wellington.

But kākā were reintroduced to Zealandia's ecosanctuary in 2001.

"By 2010, they were starting to explore beyond the fence ... and by 2015, they're nesting in people's backyards," she said.

"And today, they are again one of the most common species that we can see in our parks and backyards."

Their conservation efforts were helping to reintroduce native wildlife back into the area, Shanahan said.

"My generation grew up without kākā, without tūī. To my nieces and nephews, to many of your children, these birds are everywhere around them."

Kohutapu Lodge & Tribal Tours owner Nadine Toe Toe was focusing on rangatahi.

She was offering cultural exchanges - with industry backing - for rangatahi to travel to other indigenous communities around the world.

"Sustainability is fiercely important and we need to continue to nurture our environment and plant those trees. My whakaaro here is who is going to look after those trees in the future.

"We need to make sure that our young people are well equipped to deal with some of the issues that the taiao, our environment is facing and it's our job to make sure that we give them the tools to do so."

She was already seeing a difference.

Christchurch Airport started measuring its carbon in 2006.

Chief executive Justin Watson said it had made good progress on reducing their emissions since then and has started work on a renewable energy precinct, but there were more challenges ahead.

"They'll get there with the aircraft. They'll sort the engine and that will work. The hardest thing is the government's regulatory settings, civil aviation settings, anything like this - there's a risk adverse approach to this, and then how do you fund it?"

Tourism and Hospitality Minister Matt Doocey said the industry has had a bad rep.

"At times, tourism has actually been seen as a threat to conservation by people in conservation. You know tourists aren't a predator," Doocey said.

He would be working closely with the Conservation Minister.

"How do we better resource conservation? But actually, how do we tell our conservation story a lot better as well. Cos when you think about reasons for people travelling to New Zealand, it is our biodiversity, it is our outdoors, our natural resources."

Copyright © 2024 , Radio New Zealand

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Climate Liberation Aotearoa Disrupts TRENZ Tourism Conference Wellington May 9th

Press Release – Climate Liberation Aotearoa

At the TRENZ Tourism Conference in Wellington this Thursday, supporters of Climate Liberation Aotearoa will hold banners, hand out leaflets and speak through megaphones to protest luxury emissions, greenwashing, and the free ride that the tourism industrys …

At the TRENZ Tourism Conference in Wellington this Thursday, supporters of Climate Liberation Aotearoa will hold banners, hand out leaflets and speak through megaphones to protest luxury emissions, greenwashing, and the free ride that the tourism industry’s international emissions get.

“TRENZ’s claims about sustainability are just greenwashing unless they start calling for international shipping and aviation emissions to be included in our government’s emission targets” said Frank Preddey, Climate Liberation Aotearoa spokesperson. “The industry has so far been silent on this. There’s still time for them to step up. We challenge industry leaders to submit to the Climate Change Commission asking for effective regulation, rather than continuing the loopholes. Until the industry takes responsibility for cleaning up the industry, they will face increasing disruption from the people of Aotearoa who want better than greenwashing about 2050 targets or carbon credits.”

TRENZ is New Zealand’s largest international tourism business event, bringing hundreds of international travel buyers to New Zealand to meet with leading tourism operators. “Most of the conversations at this conference are about doing more, increasing tourist numbers, and competing for more market share. They’re ignoring the fact that as tourism numbers go up, emissions go up, and that currently as a nation we’re not taking responsibility for those emissions” said Preddey.

“The parliamentary commissioner for the environment and the NZ Tourism Taskforce’s reports have taken seriously the need for real sustainable tourism, but these reports have largely been ignored by the cruise industry, Tourism New Zealand, airports, and airlines who seem to be happy to keep greenwashing. In fact, despite the high value and environmental impact of the tourism industry, there currently isn’t even a National Tourism Strategy!” said Preddey.

“If Tourism Industry Aotearoa wants to brand itself as sustainable, they’d better be prepared to do the work. That means promoting forms of tourism that are less wasteful, produce less emissions, and are less harmful to Aotearoa’s native environment. In the meantime, they’re not going to know a moment of peace.” Said Preddey.

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Envoyage wraps Worldwide 2024 event in Chile with new ‘Envys’ awards

“Every journey is a story waiting to be told, and here is ours.” Envoyage Global Managing Director Danielle Galloway's words succinctly capture the essence of Envoyage’s recent global gathering - the first of what one imagines will be many international events for the new brand (and band) of travel advisors.

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The Flight Centre Travel Group (FCTG) network wrapped up its first ‘Worldwide’ conference in Santiago, Chile, with the event bringing together 300 travel professionals from Australia, New Zealand, the US, Canada and South Africa to celebrate, learn and shape the future of travel advisory products and services.

Themed “For Every Journey”, the program featured panels, workshops and keynote speeches designed to challenge and inspire travel professionals at every stage of their business journey.

Keynote speakers like Global Brand Strategist Nicole Hatherly and Thailand cave rescue hero Dr Craig Challen shared insights on personal branding and making an impact in business.

Meanwhile, around 45 partners including platinum partners like TTC Tour Brands, Air New Zealand and Hoteles Xcaret engaged with Envoyage members through private appointments and presentations, supporting the journeys curated for clientele around the world.

Evening celebrations included a welcome cocktail party and a “Santiago Sparkle” themed Gala dinner, honouring standout members and top performers at the cleverly titled new awards program, “The Envys”. In total, 13 members were honoured with awards.

The event concluded with a “Farewell Fiesta” featuring tarot card readers, magicians, caricature artists and a live auction.

National Travel Group Managing Director David Sumich said the gathering marked  “a truly enriching experience”.

“The conference was a dynamic hub for the exchange of ideas, connecting us with global suppliers, like-minded agencies, independent contractors, and the dedicated Envoyage team,” he said.

“I came away with the belief, that together, we are crafting a new chapter of exploration that embraces technology, sustainability, and above all, our shared passion for global discovery.” 

The Travel Corporation Commercial Director Scott Cleaver enjoyed the energy and opportunity for engagement at Worldwide 2024.

“The atmosphere to learn off each other and the supply partners in a honest and open way was really encouraging for the future of Envoyage,” he remarked. 

“We look forward to the energy of Worldwide 2025 and in a destination I’m sure will be just as impressive as Chile, bring it on!”

Ashlea Blake, of Blake Travel, wished the event had gone on for longer. 

“We had an elite group of travel advisors and suppliers, and it was clear that everyone understood the essence of connection and networking,” she remarked. 

“The effort to build lasting relationships was evident. Having attended many conferences and global events, this stands out as one of the best.”

Envoyage Australia General Manager Nick Queale spoke of immense pride for the “overwhelming success” of Worldwide 2024.

“This gathering not only showcased the best in travel innovation and collaboration but also reinforced our commitment to excellence and community within the industry,” he said. 

“The positive feedback and inspiring outcomes from this year’s event have energised us to establish Worldwide as an annual highlight.

“We’re excited about the future and look forward to seeing where Worldwide could take us next.”

Read more about the Worldwide 2024 event here .

Aiming to serve as a central hub for independent travel agents and agencies, offering them a fresh visual identity that mirrors the group’s global network, cutting-edge technology and diverse product offerings, Envoyage was launched in February .

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Exploring Australia & New Zealand

19 nights’ accommodations in Deluxe, Superior First Class, and First Class hotels.

The Lands Down Under and small group touring make for a perfect combination on this wide-ranging 22-day journey from sophisticated Sydney and the spectacular Great Barrier Reef to nautical Auckland. With three nights in Sydney, see the city’s sights and explore independently.  Discover Aboriginal culture in Uluru and watch the sun rise over fabled Ayers Rock. Swim and snorkel at the Great Barrier Reef.  Visit spectacular Mt. Cook National Park, cruise through breathtaking Milford Sound, and discover Queenstown.  In Rotorua, experience Maori culture.  Conclude in Auckland with the option to enjoy additional time here with a 3 day/2-night post-tour extension. 

Price: 

$11,184 air inclusive price from San Francisco [including airline taxes/fees of $689, which are subject to change]

For more information or to reserve your place on tour, please call the tour operator ODYSSEYS UNLIMITED toll-free at 1-888-370-6765. 

Physical level:.

Consistent amount of walking most days, about 2-4 miles per day. These trips feature long touring days and may include travel via various modes of transportation. Travelers are expected to board transportation without assistance as well as stand and walk over uneven terrain including cobblestones for extended periods of time. Some tours may include activities and travel at higher altitudes. Elevators are not always available at sights or all hotels.

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Let’s go ride a bike, or learn more about them, at these events.

The wind in one’s hair, gradually unfolding scenery at eye-level, and the rhythmic rotation of the pedals— there’s a special kind of freedom that comes from riding a bike. From lazy days where the way is the goal to long-distance rides over mountain ranges, here are just a few things to do from the seat of your trusty two-wheeled companion or with it in mind.

Visiting a trade show could help you determine which type of cycle fits you best. Some of the most important fairs coming up include:

Trade shows

Willingen, Germany: The BIKE Festival Willingen, a fair organized by BIKE magazine, bills itself as Germany’s largest mountain bike festival, with some 130 manufacturers present, along with test bikes and a bike park May 24-26. Online: tinyurl.com/59vt39ae

Frankfurt, Germany: The VELOFrankfurt fair, centered around the themes or urban mobility and an eco-friendly lifestyle, takes place May 25-26 at the Eissporthalle. Online: velo-frankfurt.de

Frankfurt, Germany: The much bigger Eurobike event is the place where manufacturers both small and mighty come to show off their latest wares. Three days for tradespeople in the branch exclusively are followed by a bike festival open to all July 6-7. Online: eurobike.com/frankfurt/en.html

Cycling shows

Birmingham, England: The National Cycling Show presents the chance to try and buy bikes, parts and lifestyle accessories. It takes place at the N.E.C. June 15-16. Online: nationalcyclingshow.com

Auto-free days

On certain Sunday afternoons, along what’s normally a busy stretch of highway, towns of a tourist region will all band together to create a so-called auto-free day. Along a stretch of road kept off-limits to motorized vehicles, local businesses, clubs and volunteer organizations will set up stands offering sizzling sausages, cooling drinks, coffee and cake or other treats. Many such days out can be reached by train, making it a true car-free day from start to finish.

Merzig – Konz, Germany: SaarPedal presents the chance to explore the scenery along 25 miles of the Saar River Valley from 10 a.m-6 p.m. May 19. Online: tinyurl.com/mr4c7hha

Worms - Oppenheim, Germany: Rheinradeln offers a 16-mile stretch of road running through the Rheinhessen wine region from 10 a.m.-6 p.m. May 26. Online: rheinradeln.de

Bad Mergentheim - Rothenburg ob der Tauber, Germany: This 30-mile route through the Tauber Valley offers as its starting (or end) point one of Germany’s most intact and beautiful medieval cities.

Join the club

The ADFC (Allgemeiner Deutscher Fahrrad-Club), or German Cyclist’s Association, is a club for bicycle riders that promotes the use of a bike as a means of both everyday transportation and recreation. The club’s activities include holding organized rides for members, affixing codes on bicycles to help the police in returning stolen property to its rightful owner and advocating for cyclists’ rights and interests. Members can opt to take part in a hospitality exchange service known as Dachgeber, or Roof Provider, in which ADFC members provide simple accommodation to their fellow members free of charge and can take advantage of the same. Online: adfc.de

Watch a race

Italy: While not the country’s most famous race (that’s the Giro d’Italia), one that could be fun to spectate, or with proper training take part in, is the Nove Colli, or Nine Hills. Considered one of the most prestigious of all Granfondo (long distance) races, participants must pedal a distance of 127 miles over terrain both flat and mountainous within 12 hours. The spectacularly scenic route passes along mostly closed roads in the Emilia-Romagna region. The race’s 2024 edition is scheduled for May 19. Online: novecolli.it/en-GB

France: For the first time ever, that most famous of all bike races, the Tour de France, will not end in Paris. The route has been changed to avoid the other huge event to take place there this summer -- the Olympic games. The first race day, known as the Grand Depart, will get underway in Florence, Italy, on June 29. A total of four stages will be held in Italy before the race hits French soil. Major Italian cities the tour will pass through include Rimini, Cesenatico, Bologna, Piacenza and Turin. The race will end in Nice on July 21. Online: letour.fr

Wax nostalgic

Just as there are rallies and meet-ups for classic auto drivers, the cycling world too has its events in which races or looking like part of the smart set 60 years ago takes place from the seat of a vintage bicycle. Places to sport one’s flair might include the Velo Retro, set in the English Lake District. From May 31-June 1, the event celebrates its 10th anniversary year with its program made up largely of group rides on old steel frame bikes, punctuated by frequent stops for eating, drinking and socializing. The event takes place May 31-June 2. Online: veloretro.co.uk

One of the best-known vintage cycling events is L’Eroica, in which non-professional riders set off on their old bikes, smartly dressed in vintage style, to follow one of five different routes all starting and ending in Gaiole, a town in the Chianti wine country in the province of Siena. Tour lengths range from 20 to 80 miles. The event will take place Oct. 5-6.

The popularity of the above-mentioned event inspired its organizers to stage similar rides through other parts of Italy and around the world. European rides scheduled for 2024 include those in Valais, Switzerland (June 15), Valkenburg, Netherlands (June 28-29) and Eltville, Germany (Aug. 24). Other rides within Italy are planned for Montalcino on May 26, Buonconvento on June 27 and San Candido on Sept. 7. Online: eroica.cc/en

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Christopher Luxon on foreign affairs, Winston Peters, Aukus and the global events that shaped him

Audrey Young

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Prime Minister Christopher Luxon says greater spending on defence is needed. Photo / Marty Melville

Christopher Luxon is a man of the world.

In foreign affairs, as he fulfils his duties as Prime Minister by connecting to the rest of the world , it is clear that he thrives on those connections, making new ones and adding vim to old ones.

It’s also clear that he is very comfortable in that role , which may have more to do with Cockle Bay Primary School than being a former chief executive of Air New Zealand.

It was at school that he started the habit of studying world leaders, he says in an interview this week in his Beehive office, Pepsi at hand and the slight din of a Spotify playlist ever-present.

By the time he turned 20, he started doing it seriously, picking a leader a year and reading everything by them and about them – although he has taken a pause this year.

It’s a habit that fed both his love of history and his fascination with leadership, be it Winston Churchill, Madeleine Albright or Lee Kwan Yew.

The one that made a big impact on him was former United States President Ronald Reagan, who beat one-term Democrat President Jimmy Carter in 1980.

“He inherited a period of the 70s which had been very challenging for America economically, but also socially and culturally, and he brought some optimism to the place and he brought a plan.”

Reagan had given the American people hope after what had felt like a hopeless decade in the 1970s.

And if the Vietnam War shaped the minds of a generation before him, the big global event that shaped Luxon’s formative years was the Cold War, and the nightmare movie of his age was The Day After about nuclear obliteration.

“We were right in the middle of the Cold War. There was a very big nuclear existential threat to the world.”

The bombing of Greenpeace ship the Rainbow Warrior in 1985, which happened just before his 15th birthday, made a big impact and he said he supported New Zealand’s anti-nuclear position of the day.

But it was Reagan’s role at that time and his management of the Cold War that impressed the young man. It led to the collapse of the Berlin Wall in 1989 when Luxon was aged 19 and the collapse of the Soviet Union not long after that.

“I watched the Berlin Wall come down at that age and stage and then obviously the economic openness that happened immediately after that,” said Luxon.

“Then I joined a big global company [Unilever] and was in Moscow and central-eastern Europe and places as they opened up to the world.

“I was in Asia as it really took off, as the middle classes started to grow, as those economies liberalised and went forward. That’s been my journey through it.”

Luxon led his first business mission as PM to Singapore, Thailand and the Philippines and confides that the survey feedback from the delegation was the highest since New Zealand Trade and Enterprise (NZTE) started running such trips – 95 per cent. In March he hosted the Prime Minister of Vietnam, Pham Minh Chinh, and plans further engagement with Indonesia and Malaysia, the other big Asean (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) players.

The Spotify set is starting to annoy him and he switches it off (he doesn’t know what it is, but it began with “a very cool blues guy” Leon Bridges).

Much is made of Luxon’s former role as Air New Zealand CEO but it was almost certainly at Unilever, in which he spent 16 years overseas, that he became a truly global citizen.

“I spent a lot of time out in the world and I got to live in Australia and the UK, US and Canada and then I had global and regional jobs for each of those places I was based in.

“I’m used to that global engagement part in my past life and again here.”

Before he entered politics, he had taken his family, wife, kids, parents and parents-in-law on a 10-day holiday to China.

Listening to Luxon’s global exploits with Unilever and to a lesser extent Air NZ, he may not have the experience of Winston Peters, now in his third stint as Foreign Minister, but he is hardly a novice either.

He emphasises the team effort, and there is no doubt that he and Peters, plus Defence Minister Judith Collins and Trade Minister Todd McClay, have injected pace into their roles.

Peters is abroad again next week on his second Pacific mission, this time to Solomon Islands, Papua New Guinea, Vanuatu, New Caledonia and Tuvalu, and this week McClay launched talks for a free trade agreement with the United Arab Emirates.

Peters has, of course, created some domestic controversy with his exuberance for a technology-sharing subset of Aukus, the deal intended to deliver a fleet of eight nuclear-propelled submarines for Australia from the United States and Britain.

It’s a big deal because it would formally attach New Zealand (and likely Japan, South Korea and Canada, all formal allies of the US) to a new alliance designed to counter China’s military expansion.

But Luxon has Peters’ back, 100 per cent. He does not deviate a millimetre from the view that there is not a jot of difference between the former Labour Government’s position and his Government’s position.

But depending on which quote is used, there are differences. Luxon himself told an Australian audience on Sky News last week that “from a New Zealand perspective, Aukus does provide the region with better security and stability. I think it is a good thing”.

In the Newshub leaders’ debate in the election campaign, Labour leader Chris Hipkins said of Aukus pillar II: “My preference is some other arrangement rather than being part of Aukus.”

Perhaps then, an acceptable way to put it would be that Labour explored it cautiously, while Luxon’s Government was exploring it enthusiastically - but that’s not acceptable either. That’s “wordsmithing”, says Luxon.

“I think we are getting back a bigger conversation which is [that] bipartisanship in foreign policy I think is important for a small country like New Zealand.”

He saw the previous Labour Opposition oppose the negotiated Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) then sign up to it in Government when it became the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP).

“So maybe we call it a Comprehensive and Progressive Aukus Agreement – we might have alignment maybe.”

Luxon said bipartisanship mattered because New Zealand’s partners needed to know they were going to get a consistent relationship under successive Governments.

His go-to line on Labour and Aukus is to wonder aloud who is responsible for Labour policy – former Prime Minister Helen Clark, former Australian Foreign Minister Bob Carr or open critic Phil Twyford.

So, to use Winston Peters’ language in his joint statement with the US, does Luxon see “powerful reasons” to engage practically with Aukus?

“Yes, yes, yes. I mean we do,” he replies. “It’s no different from the previous position the Labour Government had 161 days ago that we are open to exploring pillar II in Aukus. Our nuclear position is going to remain completely utterly unchanged.”

But he said it was only recently that discussions to explore what it meant had opened up.

“It is only in the last few weeks that a pathway for us to be able to do that and engage with the other three parties, the partners in Aukus, has materialised.

“It is still very undefined, there is a long way to go and our officials will continue that work.

“It’s a very slow burn.”

He was not sure whether any outcome would be known this term. But he agreed that commitment to higher defence spending is inevitable – echoed by Finance Minister Nicola Willis on Thursday.

“I think it’s important. The reality in the contested world today is it’s all very well saying a whole bunch of words and statements but you’ve actually got to follow up and that does mean, over time, you’ve got to have greater defence capability to support your security arrangements.

“That is the price of entry.

“In the same way on the economic front you’ve got to have a store of relationships and you’ve got to be building out different capabilities as you build the economic agenda too.”

That was very different to how it might have been five years or 10 or 15 years ago.

“So that has evolved and the price of entry on both economic and security is higher.”

The Government’s priority was to increase the intensity of relationships in the Indo-Pacific, with the three areas of focus being Australia, the Pacific, and Asia, including India.

Luxon said he wanted to deepen the longstanding relationship with China, which he described as “complex”.

“But we also have to acknowledge that we have different political histories, different political cultures, different political systems. And that will mean, as it has always meant, that we have moments when we disagree and we will predictably, consistently, publicly or private call those out.”

Asked if he feared retaliation by China if New Zealand attached itself to Aukus, he said: “It’s about a principled basis of believing in some values.

“And so when you need talk to your values, you need to be able to talk to your values and take action.”

He bristles at the suggestion that sounds as if he would join Aukus for values rather than because of a threat.

“Again, we are not there. We are exploring Aukus and I think it is disingenuous to position the Government’s position as being any different to the previous one.

“We’re open to exploring it but there’s a long way to go.”

Audrey Young is the New Zealand Herald ’s senior political correspondent. She was named Political Journalist of the Year at the Voyager Media Awards in 2023, 2020 and 2018.

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• Travel Advice

Air Vanuatu cancels all flights to Australia, New Zealand

Chaos has hit passengers with a major national airline considering going into administration, with flights cancelled.

Major airline enters voluntary liquidation

Airline placed into voluntary liquidation

Qantas’ big menu change in economy

Air Vanuatu has cancelled its flights to and from Sydney, Brisbane and Auckland through to at least Sunday, with flights after this date under review.

The airline may now enter voluntary administration, a spokesperson told news.com.au, with specialists from Ernst & Young flying to the island nation to help the Vanuatu government with its national carrier.

They will undergo “an assessment of Air Vanuatu’s financials”.

All international flights through to Sunday, May 12 are now cancelled and all future flights after this date are “currently under review”.

Air Vanuatu promised to provide updates until an outcome result had been finalised.

Qantas, which does not operate flights into Vanuatu but has a codeshare partnership with Air Vanuatu, said it was supporting codeshare customers who were impacted.

Qantas customers who are booked on an Air Vanuatu flight between now and May 31 are instructed to call Qantas or their travel agent to discuss options including refunds or a flight credit.

The Australian carrier said it would book customers who are mid-journey onto alternative flights.

Earlier on Thursday concerns began circulating about the fate of the company after it cancelled flights and local newspaper Vanuatu Daily Post reported it was informed the Air Vanuatu board had been dissolved and an administrator was appointed on May 6.

The publication said the news followed a former minister of infrastructure and public utilities reporting last month that Air Vanuatu is facing “a serious situation of bankruptcy”.

The airline’s website listed the cancelled services under its “flight schedule changes” page but blamed maintenance issues.

“Due extended maintenance requirements on our aircraft the following services listed below are impacted,” it claimed. “We are working with our partner carriers to minimise the disruption to our guests.”

📣 PSA: We are aware Air Vanuatu has cancelled its Brisbane flights for today & tomorrow. Passengers scheduled to fly with Air Vanuatu today or tomorrow should not travel to the airport. Please contact Air Vanuatu Customer Support & stay alert for updates. pic.twitter.com/IIGmJMLpUe — Brisbane Airport ✈️ (@BrisbaneAirport) May 9, 2024

Brisbane Airport said it was aware flights had been cancelled on Thursday and Friday, and has warned passengers scheduled to fly with the airline that they should not travel to the airport.

Sydney Airport issued the same warning for flights on Friday and across the weekend.

“We advise passengers who are booked on these flights to contact Air Vanuatu’s customer assistance team and not to turn up at the airport as the flights are cancelled,” a spokesperson said.

The Vanuatu Tourism Office said in a statement it was aware of reports that its national carrier has entered voluntary administration and called it an “evolving situation”.

“At this stage, we are unable to share further information but are in contact with Air Vanuatu and the Vanuatu government and will share updates as they become available,” a spokesperson said.

“We are conscious of the impact this situation has on travellers, ticket holders and the industry and on behalf of the Vanuatu tourism industry extend our apologies to anyone affected.”

It comes just days after the collapse of Australian airline Bonza , less than 18 months after launching its first flights.

Almost 60,000 Bonza customers have been left out of pocket following the collapse, a court has heard.

A court heard on Tuesday that the company had more than 60,000 creditors – including 323 employees who were owed wages and annual leave and 120 trade creditors.

There were a further 57,933 customers who had bookings with the company, barrister James Hutton SC, who is acting for the administrators, told the Federal Court on Tuesday morning.

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Customers have been left stranded after a major airline entered voluntary liquidation, cancelling all flights.

A major national airline has been placed into voluntary liquidation after it cancelled all flights to Australia and New Zealand on Thursday.

If you’re a fan of this snack, you’re going to have to part ways with it as Qantas has upgraded its domestic in-flight menu.