This week, the Relais & Chateaux collection visited Sydney and Melbourne to present their annual Relais & Chateaux Destination Showcase to travel industry representatives and selected media, including LATTE.

Those invited sipped Tattinger champagne while speaking to member representatives from Australia, New Zealand, Fiji, Hawaii, Maldives, South America, India, Asia, Japan, USA and South Africa. Partners Silversea Cruises and Pure New Zealand were also in attendance.

Mandy Lovell, Director of Member Services, Australia, New Zealand & Pacific Islands, commented: “Last year, we had a regional focus with only Australian and New Zealand properties in attendance. This year, we decided to include a larger scope and it has been very well received. Australia is such an important market for us.”

The Sydney showcase was held at the elegant Doltone House Hyde Park, and guests enjoyed canapés of watermelon and goats cheese tarts, cucumber duck pancakes, curried samosas, roasted pork belly with mango chutney and steamed pork buns – representing the culinary delights of their various international locations.

Maureen Bayley, the Business Developer Manager of Huka Retreats, said that New Zealand is expecting an increase in MICE travel with the new convention centre opening in Auckland, while Markus Schale, General Manager of Hotel Wailea, Hawaii, predicts ‘babymooners’ to become a significant trend in coming years.