A Convention Centre was critical if Queenstown intended to market itself as a business tourism destination and enjoy the economic benefits that would come with it, guests at a business luncheon in Queenstown heard yesterday.
The audience at the sold-out luncheon, the first official event on the Queenstown Winter Festival calendar, officially opened last night, were told by Queenstown Lakes District Council chief executive Adam Feeley the community was facing a ''once in a generation decision''.
''Being in the thick of it, I can't help feeling some of the debate has been relatively uninformed.
''One of the big issues is high levels of paranoia.
''There's a sense there are things going on that the [public is] not aware of.
''It is sensible for there to be a good, robust discussion about the ... convention centre and the public are going to have to be informed.
''We are in that process now.''
Panellists Jim Boult, Christchurch International Airport chief executive, Conventions and Incentives New Zealand chief executive Alan Trotter, Tourism New Zealand international business events manager Bjoern Spreitzer and Mr Feeley discussed the state of tourism in Queenstown and wider New Zealand and what needed to occur to attract business tourism to the resort.
At the luncheon Mr Feeley said convention centres were ''at best'' marginal activities, but had the potential in Queenstown to make a significant difference to the economy.
Estimations were a convention centre in the resort would create, per annum, about 500 jobs and boost the district's GDP by about $30 million.
Over eight years Mr Feeley estimated $750 million could be added to the region's GDP and more than 10,000 jobs would be created.
''That's a huge impact.''
The council had three potential models to fund the proposal.
The first was for the private sector to build and operate it, which would not happen as a stand-alone venture, taking whatever profit it could.
The alternative ''extreme'' was for ratepayers to fund the construction and for council staff to run the centre, which Mr Feeley said would not be ''hugely successful''.
The third option was a ''hybrid opportunity'', which would involve ''some level'' of commitment from the public sector, the convention centre being run by people with relevant experience.
''I just hope over the next few months, rather than everyone lurching to one view or another they take some time ... and come to a conclusion.''
Mr Trotter said it was important the community fully understood the pros and cons of the proposal.
While convention delegates spent, on average, between three and seven times more daily than a leisure tourist, the community needed to understand the ''tragedy'' of the proposed centre was it would run at a loss.
He compared the proposed centre with the Louvre in Paris, France, pointing out, while as a stand-alone entity it was unlikely to make a large profit, it had a major impact on the economy.
''We've got to think of the convention centre as a mini Louvre.
''We are the pre-eminent tourist destination in New Zealand, but in order for us to go to the next level ... we need to make a decision around investing in infrastructure.
''If we're going to play in there, we've got to win.
''We need to have an All Blacks mentality.''
