Mixed reception for tourists
‘‘You talk to retailers, hotels, taverns, bars, restaurants, they are all saying we need more.’’
Hospitality Association Canterbury branch president Peter Morrison
Tourist numbers have hit yet another record, but not all Kiwis are happy about it.
Latest figures from Statistics NZ show international visitor numbers have risen 1.2 million in the past five years, with 3.8 million tourists arriving in the year to March. Christchurch Airport arrivals rose 57,700 to 554,700.
Spending figures for March, traditionally a shoulder season, showed big rises in Canterbury, Marlborough, Otago and Taranaki (between 21 and 23 per cent) and Gisborne (40 per cent).
Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment figures also indicate growth in Canterbury tourism – 12 per cent over the year to March – worth more than $3.74 billion. Only Taranaki and the West Coast had faster growth rates.
But enthusiasm about the money tourists bring with them is tempered by concern about the negative effects of such rapid growth. A tourism industry mood of the nation survey of 555 people released yesterday shows most Kiwis believe international tourists are good for New Zealand, but one in five still thinks we attract too many of them.
According to the survey, pressure on infrastructure was the top concern, as well as accommodation shortages, environmental damage, freedom camping, traffic congestion and road safety.
Hospitality Association Canterbury branch president Peter Morrison said ‘‘none of those concerns’’ came from the Canterbury region. Pressure on infrastructure was more of an issue in smaller places like Tekapo, he said.
‘‘You talk to retailers, hotels, taverns, bars, restaurants, they are all saying we need more.’’
Canterbury tourist numbers were still below pre-quake levels, which Morrison blamed on delays to key rebuild projects like the metro sports centre.
‘‘If they were all back on schedule, and they were meant to be finished by now, we would be catching up. Christchurch Airport has been doing good work [attracting visitors], they have got record numbers, but those people aren’t staying in Canterbury.’’
Concerns about growing tourism were higher in Queenstown and Auckland. Negative feeling was strongest in Otago, where 55 per cent of residents thought tourism was putting too much pressure on the country.
Nationally, the number who believe international visitors put too great a strain on the country has dropped 1 per cent, but at 39 per cent, the figure is still more than double what it was in late 2015.
Tourism Industry Aotearoa (TIA) chief executive Chris Roberts said the improvement, albeit small, was a good sign. ‘‘It is heartening that this trend
has levelled off in the latest survey and overall sentiment has slightly improved.’’
The rapid increase in visitor numbers had caught some communities by surprise and created some challenges. The industry was working with central and local government to address this, Roberts said.
Economic benefits topped the list of pros for international tourism, while cons focused on traffic congestion and the increased risk and incidence of road accidents.
International tourism is New Zealand’s biggest export earner, contributing $14.5b a year to the economy, and directly or indirectly employing one-in-seven New Zealanders.
In the year to March, Australia remained our largest visitor market
(39 per cent), followed by China (11 per cent), the USA (9 per cent), and Britain
(7 per cent).
Auckland Airport showed the biggest increase in arrivals, up almost
190,000, while Wellington Airport was the only main centre to show a drop, with arrivals down 3800.