SANTA MONICA, CA — Canadian agents experienced New Zealand first hand this month on an eight- to nine-day familiarization trip of the country. For many of the agents it was their first time visiting New Zealand.

Participants took part in one of six itineraries with two hosts, one from Tourism New Zealand and one from Air New Zealand. The itineraries covered the entire country, from the white sand beaches of Northland to the stunning fjords of Fiordland. Agents were divided into groups based on places they had already visited in New Zealand.

“Familiarizations like this are a great opportunity for Canadian agents to experience New Zealand and equip them with the tools to sell New Zealand,” says Gregg Anderson, General Manager The Americas for Tourism New Zealand.

“They will have discovered in their time there how New Zealand is so diverse, easy to get around and is a perfect vacation destination for Canadians.”

All itineraries ended in Queenstown for a day of training with International Marketing Alliances (IMAs) and their products and a farewell gala. Consortia agents were also part of the familiarization group with representatives from Ensemble, Travel Leaders, Travelsavers and Vacation.com attending.

Some 129 applications were received for the familiarization from the U.S. and Canada. Agents were invited to apply and vetted from Air New Zealand and through Tourism New Zealand’s Specialist database. This is the second time that Tourism New Zealand has run a fam this size.