Leeann Watson: Business Canterbury CEO on the number of international business delegates visiting New Zealand rising by 50% episode artwork

EPISODE · May 26, 2026 · 3 MIN

Leeann Watson: Business Canterbury CEO on the number of international business delegates visiting New Zealand rising by 50%

from Best of Business · host Newstalk ZB

Conferences on our shores are driving up international delegation numbers, which have surged more than 50% annually.   According to Stats NZ, arrivals are near pre-Covid levels, with more than 16 thousand people coming in the first quarter.   International delegates contributed more than $54 million to the economy, with visitors spending an average $500 per day.   Business Canterbury CEO Leeann Watson told Ryan Bridge with last week's Air New Zealand expansion in Christchurch, there are more options.  She says having direct flights between Christchurch and Singapore, Perth and Tokyo, will make a big difference.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode metadata supplied by the publisher feed · Published May 26, 2026

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Leeann Watson: Business Canterbury CEO on the number of international business delegates visiting New Zealand rising by 50%

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