Channel 1 Los Angeles
10/26/2020 New Zealand
Tourism New Zealand released scenario modelling on future tourism recovery which shows Kiwis travelling around New Zealand may spend up to 18% more over January than the year before.
If trans-Tasman borders were to open by a pragmatic estimate of January 2021, this could see Australian visitors grow the economy by $1 billion by September 2021, creating much needed employment for New Zealand.
According to Tourism New Zealand Chief Executive Stephen England-Hall, the modelling shows that while there are currently uncertainties that will dictate whether recovery takes one year or three, “If we have visibility of these variables, we can take action to influence them to have positive outcomes for the country’s economic recovery, like the work we are doing to encourage domestic tourism.”
The latest MBIE domestic spend data from across New Zealand shows that Kiwis are supporting New Zealand’s economic recovery by exploring New Zealand and doing something new.
England-Hall adds, “Although August domestic visitor spend remained flat compared with last year, given Aucklanders were unable to travel for a large part of the month it is actually is an incredibly encouraging result.”
“Domestic visitation in the July school holiday period grew across all regions, in some cases a whopping 20-50% compared to the previous year.”
Pre-Covid, domestic tourism accounted for 60% of tourism’s $40.9 billion contribution to the New Zealand economy. New Zealanders previously spent $9 billion on overseas travel per year.
England-Hall adds, “We’re working hard to encourage domestic tourism and capturing this spend will be critical to the sector’s recovery.”
“It’s crucial that tourism also provides lasting benefits to our communities and enriches New Zealand. Every time someone heads into a new region, they don’t just visit tourist attractions. They shop at local retailers, book hotel rooms, eat at restaurants supporting employment and community growth.”
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