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Accomodation concern for Auckland APEC and America's Cup events

Author
Sam Thompson,
Publish Date
Sat, 11 Nov 2017, 6:29AM
Auckland will be hosting the convention in 2021 which will see world leaders and delegations from 21 nations arrive in the city. (Photo: Stockxchnge)
Auckland will be hosting the convention in 2021 which will see world leaders and delegations from 21 nations arrive in the city. (Photo: Stockxchnge)

Accomodation concern for Auckland APEC and America's Cup events

Author
Sam Thompson,
Publish Date
Sat, 11 Nov 2017, 6:29AM

The world's focus may be on APEC in Vietnam this weekend, but for Auckland Council, they are focused on the future.

The city will be hosting the convention in 2021 for the first time since 1999, which will see world leaders and delegations from 21 nations such as America, Japan and China.

Between 18,000 and 22,000 people are expected in the city during the convention, making it one of the largest events the Government has ever hosted.

One of their top priorities before arriving will be security.

Councillor Christine Fletcher was Mayor during the 1999 convention and said the security details of world leaders wanted assurance their leaders were safe.

"And it could be quite controversial because you're closing down areas. Back in 1999 there were a lot of protestors and we were determined that we were going to manage that in a really harmonious way."

Aucklanders should also expect there to be major disruptions.

"We had road closures. we had the Domain closed. I'm not going to say that any of that was easy, but you've got to look at the benefits that are going to come with it," Fletcher said.

One of the biggest concerns for Auckland will be if there are enough hotels to house everyone.

Fletcher said doesn't believe we have enough hotel rooms.

"I think that we will have insufficient accommodation. When you look at the scale of APEC as an event. There are hotels being built and that is certainly going to alleviate some of the accommodation problems."

Hundreds of new hotel rooms are needed over the next four years.

Colliers International national hotel director Dean Humphries says 14-hundred more rooms will come on to the market in the next three years, but it still might not be enough.

"With APEC and the America's Cup heading our way in 2021, we certainly need to see more rooms coming online."

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