Tuesday 5 June 2007

Karori Sanctuary Visitor and Education Centre Will
Change the Face of Wellington Tourism

The realisation of the Karori Sanctuary’s Visitor and Education Centre will have a dramatic impact on Wellington tourism, says the city’s tourism marketing organisation.

The Government announced today that it will give up to $6.5 million to the development of its Visitor and Education Centre. The grant, together with an
$8 million commitment from the Wellington City Council and funding from many
other individuals and local businesses, allows the Sanctuary to create a centre of conservation education.

“This centre will catapult the Karori Sanctuary to an all new level, creating a commissionable tourism product that will complement Te Papa,” says Tim Cossar, CEO of Positively Wellington Tourism. “It will change the face of Wellington tourism, giving visitors another compelling reason to visit the capital and spend more time here.”

“The effect of the Visitor and Education Centre will be huge, particularly in the international visitor market. If 30,000 international visitors spent another night here because of the Karori Sanctuary, that would mean another $4.5 million per year being spent in Wellington.”

"We extend our congratulations to the Karori Sanctuary for receiving this funding. We've taken an active role in supporting the development of the centre since the beginning. Our research shows it will be strategically important to the development of Wellington as a visitor destination.”

The Karori Sanctuary’s Visitor and Education Centre will offer a unique visitor experience with its combination of nature and interactive technology. Designed to blend in with its natural surroundings, the centre will take people on a journey through New Zealand's environmental and conservation story.

Wellington Tourism Facts:

- Tourism is worth in excess of $1.4 billion to the Wellington regional economy each year.
- Wellington attracts 568,000 international visitors per year, an increase of 40% since 2000.
- Wellington’s top three international visitor markets are, in order of size: Australia, UK and USA.
- Positively Wellington Tourism’s domestic campaign ‘Have a Love Affair with Wellington’ won the Tourism Marketing award and was Major Category Winner of the Tourism and Transportation Services section at the 2006 New Zealand Tourism Awards.

ENDS

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