Tourism News - International visitors contribute $11.6B to New Zealand’s economy

Spend is up 41%, or $3.4 billion compared to last year.

No images? Click here. 18 September 2024 Kia ora THE   As we head into spring, it's encouraging to see international visitors contributing strongly to New Zealand and our economy. Data from the International Visitor Survey shows that international visitors spent $11.6 billion in the 12 months leading up to June 2024. This marks a significant increase of 41%, or $3.4 billion, compared to the previous year.   These numbers highlight that tourism remains New Zealand's second-largest export earner, underscoring its vital role in our nation's economy. Increased spending by international visitors translates to more tourism jobs, productive businesses, and vibrant communities.   Tourism New Zealand's strategy to grow year-round and off-peak tourism focuses on increasing the value that international visitors bring to New Zealand's economy. It's very encouraging to see this reflected in the latest spend figures.   The top three markets by spend between July 2023 and June 2024 were Australia ($3.5 billion), the USA ($1.7 billion), and China ($1.2 billion). The data also showed that 28% of international holiday visitors travelled to four or more regions in the quarter between April and June 2024.   Tourism New Zealand is committed to supporting a productive and sustainable tourism industry year-round by focusing on growing off-peak visitation. We need to stand out from other destinations to achieve this goal. Our first major initiative to highlight off-peak experiences was the launch of the Stargrazing campaign last month, showcasing New Zealand's world-class cuisine and stargazing experiences.   To date, the campaign has achieved $32 million in equivalent advertising value (EAV), the amount we would have had to spend to reach the same number of consumers in our key markets. Over 200 pieces of content have been published since the campaign's launch by event attendees and international media outlets across all our key markets, including 9Travel (Australia), Frankfurter Rundschau (Germany) and Feast Magazine (UK). The hero video content has earned over 4.9 million impressions, reached almost 2.7 million people, and generated over 4.4 million video views with 69,000 engagements.   It's fantastic to see this work resonate so well with our international audiences. We'll continue to use the content to promote New Zealand as a year-round destination, aiming to boost arrivals for the 2025 off-peak season.   As always - if you have any questions, feedback, or want to get in touch with myself or one of the Tourism New Zealand team, please contact us.   Ngā mihi, René de Monchy Chief Executive, Tourism New Zealand Industry webinar | TNZ Global Markets: The Power of Partnership Join Tourism New Zealand to learn how your business can attract more visitors from key markets during the off-peak. During the webinar you will: Hear about TNZ's offshore activity and how you can get involved Learn how you can leverage commercial platforms and partnerships to get your product in front of consumers and convert off-peak bookings We will also be sharing the learnings from our upcoming in-person workshops held in Rotorua and Ōtautahi Christchurch. There will be time for Q&A. When: Wed, 9 Oct 2024 10:00 - 11:00am Read more here New Zealand upskills Asia Pacific business events sector New Zealand has boosted the professional development of business events by hosting Australasia's first in-person ICCASkills Training Programme.    18 business events professionals from New Zealand, Australia, Thailand, and India took part in the three-day ICCASkills training event hosted at Te Pae Christchurch Convention & Exhibition Centre earlier this month.    In 2023, the business events sector was worth $403 million to the New Zealand economy. Upskilling business events professionals will help New Zealand to attract future events and ensures delegates have an exceptional experience while they are here. Find more here Apply early for visitor visas ahead of summer Immigration New Zealand is advising applicants to submit their visitor visa applications as early as possible to have the best chance of having applications processed in time for the summer and Christmas period. Those planning to visit New Zealand for Christmas should ensure their applications are submitted by 15 October 2024.    Find out more Keep up to date with industry events Stay updated on industry events through Tourism New Zealand's events calendar available on our website.   See events here Tourism New Zealand, Manaakitanga Aotearoa. PO Box 95, Level 23, Aon Centre, 1 Willis Street, Wellington, New Zealand. Phone +64 4 462 8000 | Email comms@tnz.govt.nz www.tourismnewzealand.com | www.newzealand.com You're receiving this email because you subscribed to our mailing list. Preferences  |  Unsubscribe    Did a friend forward this message? Subscribe here for Tourism News.