Staff from each of Otago's five regional tourism organisations (RTOs) as well as independent businesses will spend April 21-24 enticing visitors south in an effort to boost the region's economy.
This year's annual conference, organised by the Tourism Industry Association New Zealand (TIA), is expected to attract about 300 international travel buyers and media representatives - including those from Lonely Planet and National Geographic - from 27 countries.
Collectively, they will generate an estimated hundreds of thousands of international visitors and tens of millions of dollars in new business.
New Zealand's tourism industry is worth about $23.4 billion a year and is geared towards priority markets Australia, China, the United Kingdom, Germany, Japan and the United States.
Developing markets such as India and Indonesia are also a key focus of Trenz 2013.
''We are pleased to see the inclusion of an Indian journalist in the Trenz 2013 media contingent as the tourism industry is targeting cricket-mad Indians to travel here for the 2015 Cricket World Cup, which New Zealand and Australia are co-hosting,'' TIA chief executive Martin Snedden said.
Another priority is to increase the number of Chinese visitors, who last year spent $651 million in New Zealand - up 42% on the 2011 figure. About 250 New Zealand tourism operators are registered to exhibit at Trenz 2013.
For the first time, Tourism Dunedin, Tourism Waitaki, Tourism Central Otago and Venture Southland staff are collaborating on their exhibits in an effort to promote the lower South Island as a destination, the different parts of which complement each other.
Most Otago RTOs plan to host pre or post-Trenz familiarisation trips for international visitors and Tourism New Zealand staff based overseas.
Destination Queenstown and 25 Wakatipu tourism operators will represent the popular holiday spot this year.
Tourism Central Otago marketing manager Alison Mason said the district's ''must do'' activities and attractions included cycling the Otago Central Rail Trail as well as wine, food and heritage.
Nature, wildlife and heritage are the main focus of Tourism Waitaki marketing, as well as the Alps 2 Ocean Cycle Trail.
