NZ tourism’s $50b ‘big hairy goal’
Tourism aims to be a $50 billion industry within the next six years following a period of growth a leader says was “beyond all expectations”. But the sector would not just be focusing on the dollar figure, Tourism Industry Aotearoa chief executive Chris Roberts said.
Sustainability of communities, the environment, the economy and visitors has been placed firmly at the heart of TIA’s updated framework.
Roberts said that in 2014 the industry set a “big hairy audacious goal”
of earning $41b a year by 2025. It was now earning $39.1b a year, fuelled by the surge in the number and spending by international visitors.
Roberts said that on a national scale, the country had made incredible progress towards the original Tourism 2025 goal, set as the country was emerging from the impact of the global financial crisis.
Visitor arrival figures out yesterday show a 2.6 per cent fall in March from the same month a year earlier but visitor arrivals now exceed 3.8 million a year.
“We recognise the industry’s rapid growth has brought challenges as well as benefits. Public infrastructure, already suffering from decades of under investment, has struggled to cope,” Roberts says in the document released at the Trenz tourism event in Rotorua says. “Locals may find that their ‘hidden gem’ destination is now a hit on Instagram and has seen an influx of visitors.”
While New Zealanders overwhelmingly support tourism, a survey for the industry last week showed 26 per cent thought there were too many tourists.
The Government will later this week release its new strategy and Roberts said this would complement the industry’s focus on sustainability.
Roberts said the industry was increasingly recognising and adopting the Ma¯ori values of kaitiakitanga (guardianship), manaakitanga (hospitality) and whanaungatanga (working together).
Figures show domestic travel spend — about 60 per cent of the total — had increased by 26.6 per cent from 2014. Roberts said it was important not to forget about Kiwi travellers. “Looking ahead, we are facing three key issues — managing the growth of tourism, improving management of our natural resources, and acting on carbon and climate change.”