New Zealanders' passion can intoxicate visitors. "Kia ora! (be well)" you'll hear, and hear often, from the welcoming locals.
"I was extremely impressed with the Kiwis -- I loved their energy, ambition to succeed, and their desire to be happy," says John Koon, president of San Francisco-based JEK Consulting, an event management company. Koon was on a recent New Zealand site inspection as he considered Auckland for a 2016 incentive group.
This breathtaking destination consists of two main islands -- the North and the South -- and boasts glaciers, white- and black-sand beaches, fjords, rain forests, alpine forests, lakes, and volcanic craters. There is skydiving, hang gliding, jet boating, whitewater rafting, back-country four-wheel-drive tours, hiking, biking, skiing, bungy jumping, canyoning, and rappelling. There is also "zorbing," where you climb inside a large protective plastic ball, either alone or with a friend, and roll down a grassy hill, taking in the sights along the way. And visitors can take part in wine tastings in caves, vineyards, and in the homes of winemakers.
The trans-Pacific flight is daunting, but Air New Zealand makes it easier with more than 4,000 weekly flights, connecting to 26 destinations within New Zealand and 27 international ports in Asia, Europe, Australia, North America, and the Pacific Islands. Air New Zealand even has a cultural ambassador, the indiginous New Zealander Andrew Baker.
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This article appears in the April 2015 issue of Successful Meetings.