Friday 13 May 2016

MBIE releases New Zealand Tourism Forecasts 2016-2022

Each year MBIE produces the tourism forecasts – a report that informs and supports planning and investment decisions in the tourism industry. The forecasts are based on econometric modelling, current trends and best available forecasts of international factors and have been developed with input from members of the tourism industry.

The forecasts provide expectations on the future international tourism demand in New Zealand from key markets as well as emerging markets, and can be used to help industry plan strategically. Find out more here.

NZ Māori Tourism's website

As a Māori tourism experience, we want to ensure you are exposed to thousands of visitors to New Zealand via our website - it is free to list and the site has lots of other valuable information for both visitors and Māori tourism experiences. Email Amy to list your experience.

Refreshed TIA

Tourism Industry Aotearoa (TIA) is the new identity for the Tourism Industry Association of New Zealand.  Read more and see their new website here.

 

National park fees for foreigners scoped

Overseas visitors could face new charges to visit national parks. Associate Tourism Minister Paula Bennett says the work is underway to look at ways of extending charging of foreign visitors to national parks.

About 3.2 million visitors come from overseas a year and of those on holiday here about half go to national parks, the minister said at the Trenz travel event in Rotorua.  "As those numbers grow you can see increased pressure," she said. Read more here.

Early Easter boosts guest nights 

National guest nights for March 2016 were 12.3 percent higher than in March 2015, Statistics New Zealand said this week.

"Guest nights for March were boosted by an early Easter and increased visitor arrivals, and are the highest recorded for any March month," business indicators senior manager Neil Kelly said. "Easter this year was in March, whereas last year it was in April. Guest nights have been rising for the last two years."

For March 2016, compared with March 2015:

  • North Island guest nights were up 10.4 percent, and South Island guest nights were up 14.8 percent.
  • Domestic guest nights were up 11.5 percent, and international guest nights were up 13.2 percent.
  • All 12 regional areas had more guest nights.
  • All four accommodation types, particularly holiday parks, had more guest nights. Read more here.

An Irishwoman who has never been to NZ but is mad about te reo

Living in Ireland, Aoife​ had never heard te reo. Now, she's writing her PhD about the language.

Aoife Finn describes herself as "a bit of an anomaly". She lives in Dundalk​, an hour out of Dublin, and has never visited New Zealand. Yet Finn has spent six years studying the Māori language.

Why? "I just think it's a really interesting language, it's great," said Finn. She discovered the language in a Trinity College library, while working on a linguistics assignment. Read more here.

Dairy industry needs to 'pay back' tourism

The dairy industry needs to pay back the tourism industry by adopting leading sustainability practices on the farm, according to University of Auckland Business School senior lecturer Dr Mike Lee.

Tourism recently overtook dairy as New Zealand's largest export earner but Lee, from the university's marketing department, says the two industries have an odd, yet symbiotic relationship.

"Tourism has become recognised as a big industry and the benefits it bestows on the country have a direct effect on dairy," he says. "Our visitors enjoy the best parts of our country and carry away an impression that has a direct effect on exports. Read more here.

Learn more about China FITs

A series of free regional workshops are being organised by MBIE for tourism operators to learn more about the research on China FITs and how they can apply the findings to add value to their businesses. Find out more and register here

 

$18 million transformation for Te Puia

Major new developments at one of New Zealand's oldest tourism destinations are set to transform Te Puia/New Zealand Māori Arts and Crafts Institute after a significant investment was announced today.

According to officials, the developments will transform the organisation, enrich the visitor experience and support the teaching of Māori culture. Read more here.

You need more Kiwis in tourism

The operator of an agency bringing rich American tourists to New Zealand says the lack of Kiwis working in tourism here could harm the industry.

"The Americans want to come down and talk to the Kiwis and befriend them. A lot of properties and more so the tour experiences are employing a lot of people who relate to other markets rather than the Kiwi or American market. "They're coming down and saying they didn't meet a New Zealander. It's a shame." Read more here.

Cathay Pacific Travel Media Awards

To enter, click here to find entry forms.  If you know travel writers, travel photographers or those aspiring to become a travel writer or photographer please pass on the details to them.

The deadline for entering is Friday 17 June 2016. Winners will be announced at the awards presentation gala evening on Friday, 19 August 2016 at the Heritage Hotel, Auckland.

 

Poutama Digital Cluster Hui

Poutama are hosting the next Digital Cluster hui in lil ole Ohakune - if it can happen there it can happen anywhere, particularly for people where location is not a barrier to delivering a global service!

Poutama has lined up an eclectic group of presenters with some inspiring korero, sharing their knowledge and the impact of digital technology & innovation.  Check out the programme and register now!

Kiwi Link Brazil and Argentina

To support the promotion of New Zealand in the South America market, Tourism New Zealand will be organising a Kiwi Link event in both Buenos Aires and São Paulo.

These events will provide a great opportunity for tourism operators to develop relationships, promote products, educate and upskill wholesale and retail travel sellers throughout Argentina and Brazil. Read the prospectus and register here.

NZ Story Workshops

Every business has a great story to tell … But often it’s not being as told as well as it could be. This hands-on NZ Story workshop will help you develop your story so you can stand out from the competition, close sales and win new business. Register to attend the free workshop here.

 

Listing on newzealand.com

A presence on newzealand.com can help grow your business by connecting you with consumers considering a visit to New Zealand. A key role of the website is to drive qualified traffic to you. There is no charge for listing on newzealand.com - update your details, or list here.

Māori Tourism Quarterly

One of the most consistent messages we receive from the Māori tourism whānau is the need to interpret the tourism and economic data so businesses can better plan, look for opportunities, and identify future markets - so we've partnered with Berl to produce the Māori Tourism Quarterly newsletter. Read the first edition here.

Get figures for your business

Figure.nz collect data from all over New Zealand. Discover the information that can help your business make smarter decisions and succeed.

Planning for Inbound Success

Together with the Tourism Export Council, this is a guide to working with New Zealand Inbound Operators. Read it here, or email us to request a hard copy.

The New Zealand Tourism Dashboard is a one-stop shop for all information about tourism. It brings together a range of tourism datasets produced by MBIE and Statistics New Zealand into one easy-to-use tool.

Regional Economic Activity Report

Explore your region - look at international visits,  visitor spend, economic performance, and more.

 

NZ Māori Tourism
PO Box 5038, Lambton Quay,
Wellington 6145 |  P +64 4 474 4682 
Mezzanine Floor, Seabridge House,
110 Featherston St, Wellington 6011
info@maoritourism.co.nz

 

The NZ Māori Tourism team: Hoki-mai Chong, Alyse Lynch, Lee Beazley, Amy Hodgkinson, Simon Phillips, and Pania Tyson-Nathan.