Domestic tourism not enough: industry
AUCKLAND: The tourism industry is struggling to fill a $6 billion hole left by international tourists who are unable to visit New Zealand during the summer months.
Tourism Industry Aotearoa chief executive Chris Roberts said New Zealanders’ efforts this summer could not compare to what international tourists bring in.
Last year, international visitors spent more than $3 billion in December and January.
‘‘So that’s effectively disappeared entirely . . . so while the domestic visitor spend, when we do get the figures, might be up slightly, it’s not going to go anywhere near replacing that $3 billion.’’
International tourists would also spend another $3 billion in February and March, as New Zealanders returned to work, Mr Roberts said.
A tourism campaign encouraged people to ‘‘Do Something New, New Zealand’’ to support the tourism sector, and while New Zealanders had flocked to beaches and lakes, other regions were still doing it tough.
Golden Bay, the Abel Tasman region and the Tasman district had been especially busy, Mr Roberts said.
The Coromandel is also having a busy summer, even without international tourists.
Hot Water Beach Top 10 Holiday Park’s Vivian Bongard said New Zealanders had filled gaps left by overseas visitors.
But Mr Roberts said not all regions were seeing high visitor numbers.
‘‘For some other parts of the country that have a heavier reliance on international visitors, they’ve been doing it hard . . . So the likes of Queenstown, Fiordland and Westland have still struggled right through this ChristmasNew Year period.’’
Distance from main population centres was another factor.
Fox Glacier, Franz Josef Glacier and Te Anau were particularly hard hit.
Totally Tourism offers scenic flights, and boat cruises in the Milford Sound, Queenstown and West Coast regions.
Owner Mark Quickfall said before Covid19, up to 90% of his clients were from overseas and while the domestic market had since grown, it was not enough to make ends meet.
‘‘A good example of that is with our helicopter operations, where last summer we were operating about 20 helicopters, and we’re now operating about nine, so less than half,’’ Mr Quickfall said.
‘‘We’re treading water, in the hope that either a bubble with Australia will occur or that the vaccine is distributed wide enough that we can get an air corridor into New Zealand.’’