Tourism rebound gathers pace
More than 600,000 international visitors are expected to arrive in New Zealand this winter, as tourism continues to rebound from the pandemic.
The figures, based on forward airline booking and capacity data, show arrivals for June to August 2023 will be about 83% of the 2019 winter total.
And the Aussies are coming in their droves. Around 300,000 of the arrivals will be from across the ditch, which means the Australian market has recovered to 90% of its pre-Covid levels (345,000 in 2019).
April was also a bumper month, with 221,300 overseas visitors arriving in NZ. Electronic card spending data shows they spent $328 million that month, up 25% compared with April 2019 ($264 million).
"This is great news for the hundred thousand Kiwis directly employed in tourism and their communities around Aotearoa New Zealand who rely on the industry for local jobs and economic growth," Tourism Minister Peeni Henare says.
“This rebound complements the Government’s investment in regional infrastructure while the borders were closed, which is enabling a strong post-pandemic recovery."
International visitors spent $3.2 billion into NZ in the first quarter of 2023, up from $1.8bn in the December quarter. That makes international tourism the second highest export this quarter behind dairy exports (milk powder, butter, and cheese – $5.2 billion).
Australian visitors remain the largest single market, spending $1bn, followed by USA visitors ($518m) and UK visitors ($383m).
Along with the increase in volume, there is also an increase in holidaymakers who spend more per day ($310 per day) than the average visitor ($210 per day).
Visitor numbers are also buoyed by the increase in flight capacity.
"The Government’s priority has been to support the tourism sector to recover and to ensure a future for the industry that is sustainable,’ Peeni Henare says.
"To support the tourism industry, the Government has invested $18.22 million in Budget 2023 to implement the Better Work phase of the Tourism Industry Transformation Plan – a joint initiative between government, industry, iwi and unions.
"This will help to implement initiatives like a hospitality and tourism accreditation scheme, as well as investments in better education and training, and improved opportunities for those who choose tourism as a career."
