The Conference Company Managing Director Jan Tonkin is one of 9 new appointments to the Tourism Auckland Board. The new Board will be responsible for guiding the strategic direction of Tourism Auckland’s marketing and management of the Auckland region as a tourist destination over the coming years. A particular focus will be on helping to ensure the Auckland region is well prepared to maximise the tourism benefits that will flow from Rugby World Cup 2011.
Jan sees her appointment as a nod to the role of conventions in Auckland’s tourism mix. “It is a great acknowledgement on the part of Tourism Auckland of the importance of the convention market to the future of the city’s tourism prospects. I take the role with which I have been entrusted very seriously and am delighted to be a part of crafting Auckland’s future.”
Ray Salter, General Manager, Ministry of Tourism, and a member of the appointments panel, emphasised the importance of Auckland to the New Zealand’s tourism industry.
“Auckland is the gateway for more than two thirds of international visitors to New Zealand and accounts for more than a quarter of the tourism sector’s GDP contribution. Significant investment in tourism infrastructure is expected to occur in the Auckland region over the next few years and it is essential that Auckland is equipped to capitalise on this and propel itself forward as an attractive, sophisticated and diverse destination for all visitors. I am confident that the new Board of Tourism Auckland will help Auckland achieve this vision.”
The joint funders of a restructured Tourism Auckland are Auckland City Council, Manukau City Council and the Auckland Regional Council. |
