Technology is rapidly transforming the travel and tourism
industries worldwide, and Queenstown Lakes District is at
the forefront of New Zealand’s response. Through
Technology Queenstown, the region is spearheading e@orts to
position the country on the global stage, expanding beyond
traditional tourism into high-value technology solutions
that can deliver high-value economic outcomes.
An
A-list of global travel, tourism and travel tech executives,
founders and investors will descend on Queenstown in July,
joining forces with homegrown heroes to discuss the most
important topics shaping the future of travel
tech.
Technology Queenstown, the not-for-profit agency
tasked with building a robust technology ecosystem for the
Queenstown Lakes District, is hosting Asia Pacific’s
leading travel and hospitality tech event, WiT (Web in
Travel), on 20 and 21 July at the Queenstown Memorial
Centre.
“We are excited to be releasing the
programme for WiT Queenstown today, covering the topics that
will shape the future of the travel and tourism sectors,”
said Technology Queenstown Chief Executive O@icer Sarah
Russell.
In a first for New Zealand, this event will
shine a light on the challenges and opportunities that
dominate the industry’s thinking – and how technology can
be deployed in response. Topics will range from the seismic
shift that AI is presenting the industry, to technology’s
role in making tourism more sustainable, the future of
online travel agencies, the changing marketing funnel and
distribution landscape, how corporate travel is being
reinvented, the global surge in consumer demand for
authentic experiences, the changing face of accommodation
and related tech stacks, the evolution of payments in
travel, through to how technology is improving the airport
experience for travellers and operators alike.
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“The
fact we have attracted such a high calibre of global players
to participate in person is testament to the district’s
strong reputation as a travel destination,” adds Sarah
Russell.
Roger Sharp, founder of Technology
Queenstown, said “our mission is to build $1billion in
annual GDP from the technology sector in Queenstown Lakes
District over the next 20 years. This vision is anchored in
Travel & Hospitality Tech. We’re asking ourselves
‘what would need to be true for Queenstown Lakes to become
the Southern Hemisphere’s go-to travel tech hub?’. This
event, and the strong industry support that we are
experiencing for it, anchors our view that Queenstown Lakes
can successfully leverage its reputation as the World’s
Adventure Capital to also become a renowned testing ground
for Travel and Hospitality Tech innovation.”
Yeoh Siew
Hoon, Founder of WiT, said, “Our theme for the 2026 WiT
edition is The Next 20, having sparked innovation in travel
tech, from Singapore to Tokyo, Seoul, Cape Town, and Dubai
for the past 20 years, we’re now looking to the next 20
years and debuting in Queenstown is an exciting part of the
2026 edition,”
“Collaborating with Technology
Queenstown to deliver this programme that brings together
WiT insights with local strategic vision and talent,” she
added.