Queenstown will host about 100 moneyed golfers and their spouses for the Air New Zealand Festival of Golf which coincides with the Rugby World Cup.
Air New Zealand online and leisure general manager Dave Simmons, of Auckland, gave national and international media an update on the social golf tournament during the Trenz travel trade show in Queenstown last week.
The third festival of golf is open to all club and social players and will run from October 9 to 15. The event is being marketed in Australia, North America, Japan and China.
Tourists from traditional markets who were not rugby fans had to be protected and be informed that the country could still cater for them during the World Cup, Mr Simmons said.
"It's to create an opportunity for like-minded people to experience what Queenstown has to offer," he said.
The tournament will be directed by New Zealand Golf operations manager Phil Aickin.
The seven-day, six-night package will cost $2189 per person, or $1735 per non-player. It includes four rounds of golf on the Queenstown Golf Club's Kelvin Heights course, Jacks Point, Millbrook and Arrowtown Golf Club's course, on the Stableford scoring system.
The package includes accommodation in either the Crowne Plaza hotel or Scenic Suites, plus welcome function, all transfers, daily golf equipment prizes from sponsor Srixon, a finale lunch and the Air New Zealand awards.
Mr Simmons said the festival was one of the initiatives the airline was taking as part of its "commitment to tourism", along with sponsorship of the Queenstown Winter Festival and Winter Games NZ.
The airline had been reinforcing the global message New Zealand was "open for business" after the Christchurch earthquake and was working to create opportunities for "Destination New Zealand."
