Air New Zealand Champions Aotearoa’s Regional Events With Nationwide Sponsorship Initiative

Published on October 29, 2025

By: Tuhin Sarkar

Air New Zealand has reaffirmed its committedness to Aotearoa by launching its Regional Events Sponsorship Programme, providing important backing for 19 location events crossed nan country. This inaugural is portion of nan airline’s broader extremity to support New Zealand’s tourism and economic growth, while showcasing nan country’s divers landscapes, people, and cultures. By sponsoring these events, Air New Zealand intends to foster greater community engagement and boost regional tourism, helping section economies thrive.

From nan chaotic coastlines of the West Coast to nan vibrant vineyards of Hawke’s Bay, and from Northland’s foodie havens to nan taste celebrations successful Ōtepoti, Air New Zealand is helping to item nan champion that New Zealand has to offer. Through this initiative, nan hose is actively supporting tourism development, while offering some local and world visitors nan chance to acquisition New Zealand’s hidden gems.

Supporting Communities and Building Connections

Air New Zealand’s CEO, Nikhil Ravishankar, said of nan airline’s pridefulness successful supporting these events. He emphasized nan value of connecting group and fostering a deeper appreciation of New Zealand’s regions. “These events showcase nan very champion of our regions. They bring group together, show our stories, and observe nan unthinkable talent and hospitality recovered correct crossed Aotearoa,” Ravishankar said.

This sponsorship is not conscionable astir flying passengers from 1 spot to another. Air New Zealand’s attraction connected supporting these location events aligns pinch its broader ngo of helping Kiwis observe nan magic successful their ain backyard. By backing these events, nan hose plays a important domiciled successful driving tourism, attracting visitors, and boosting section economies. As Ravishankar pointed out, this inaugural underscores what makes New Zealand specified a typical spot to unrecorded and visit.

Tailored Support for a Diverse Range of Events

Each of nan 19 location events selected for sponsorship will person tailored support from Air New Zealand. This includes everything from flights and marketing initiatives to promotional activity, ensuring nan events person nan resources to thrive and grow. The programme offers a three-year commitment, providing nan arena organisers pinch much-needed certainty for early maturation and development.

The selected events span a wide scope of industries, from food and wine to sport, fashion, and nan arts, showcasing nan country’s rich | diversity. Whether it’s nan chardonnay celebrations successful Gisborne aliases nan wildfoods show successful Hokitika, each arena plays a pivotal domiciled successful putting nan regions they correspond connected nan map.

Regional Events Boosting Local Economies

The sponsorship programme besides supports regional economical development, helping bring more visitors to smaller towns and agrarian areas. Tourism and Hospitality Minister, Louise Upston, expressed her enthusiasm for nan initiative, highlighting its domiciled successful expanding tourism beyond nan main municipality centres. “When visitors walk clip successful our smaller towns and regions, they’re supporting section businesses, cafes, and accommodation providers, helping create jobs and thrust economical growth,” Upston said.

By encouraging recreation to New Zealand’s lesser-known destinations, Air New Zealand’s Regional Events Sponsorship Programme helps dispersed nan economical benefits of tourism crossed nan country, ensuring that nan affirmative impacts of tourism scope each corners of Aotearoa.

A Diverse Line-Up of Supported Events

The 19 events supported by Air New Zealand scope from taste festivals to vino and nutrient showcases, providing thing for each interest. Here’s a look astatine nan divers events being supported:

1. SCOFF successful Timaru (5–21 September 2025)
2. On Show successful Christchurch (1 September–30 November 2025)
3. Savour Northland successful Kerikeri & Whangārei (1–31 October 2025)
4. Manawatū Garden Festival successful Palmerston North (12–16 November 2025)
5. Coastal 5 Taranaki successful New Plymouth (15–16 November 2025)
6. The Spectacle successful Nelson (5–6 December 2025)
7. Bridge Pa Wine Festival successful Napier (17 January 2026)
8. Hamilton Arts Festival successful Hamilton (20 February–1 March 2026)
9. Moana Auckland successful Auckland (28 February–15 March 2026)
10. Wildfoods Festival successful Hokitika (14 March 2026)
11. Flavours of Plenty Festival successful Tauranga (16 April–3 May 2026)
12. Faultline Ultra successful Wellington (25–26 April 2026)
13. Electrify successful Queenstown (19–21 May 2026)
14. The Chardonnay Affair successful Gisborne (22–24 May 2026)
15. Tussock Country Music Festival successful Invercargill / Gore (22–31 May 2026)
16. Aronui Drone Festival successful Rotorua (9–11 July 2026)
17. Matariki mā Puaka Celebration successful Dunedin (10 July 2026)
18. Marlborough Book Festival successful Blenheim (24–26 July 2026)
19. Treats of Taupō successful Taupō (28 September–4 October 2026)

Looking Forward: A Bright Future for Regional Tourism

With nan committedness from Air New Zealand, these events person nan imaginable to turn successful scope and impact, creating much opportunities for New Zealand communities. By spotlighting location celebrations, nan hose not only enhances nan recreation acquisition but besides contributes to nan sustainable maturation of tourism successful New Zealand.

As tourism continues to evolve, it’s clear that initiatives for illustration nan Regional Events Sponsorship Programme play a cardinal domiciled successful ensuring that New Zealand’s hidden gems are discovered by some section and world visitors. These events supply nan cleanable opportunity to research nan diverse, vibrant, and welcoming communities crossed nan country.