ITC Industry News Bulletin #57

In this week’s airline, travel and tourism news, Air New Zealand wins big, Wellington prepares for a tourism boom, and much more.

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Air New Zealand wins International Airline of the Year award

Air New Zealand won both International Airline of the Year and Domestic Airline of the Year at the Roy Morgan Customer Satisfaction Awards 2016.

More than 13,000 New Zealanders gave their opinion on brands and companies, which led to 21 businesses being awarded on the night. Air New Zealand was the only company to win two titles, continuing “its streak as the top domestic airline”.

Carrie Hurihanganui, the general manager for customer experience at Air New Zealand, says it’s great to see the airline’s efforts are being recognised by its customers.

“We have been very focused on enhancing our customers’ journeys, including making substantial investments in new aircraft, new and refreshed lounges, and innovative technology,” she explained.

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ITC Industry News Bulletin #56

It’s been a bumper week for New Zealand tourism news. Tourism figures continue to rise, Britons love our country, Dunedin prepares for a chocolate festival, and much more.

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New Zealand’s tourism boom continues

New Zealand’s growing tourism industry has been making headlines for months, and May managed to top the charts again – records for both short-term visits and migration have once more been broken.

According to Statistics New Zealand, the overall annual migration to New Zealand rose to 68,400 in May – up from 57,800 a year earlier. The number of short-term visitor arrivals from overseas shot up to 3.29 million, which is 11 per cent more than the same time last year.

Further to this, the Treasury is expecting migration levels will reach their peak in June – at 70,700 – before returning to normal levels again in another three years.

Historically, Australia has been the number one country of origin for visitors to New Zealand, but recent figures have shown that 22,200 people came from China through May, compared to 20,200 Australians. This is only the second time China has managed to supersede Australia’s figures.

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ITC Industry News Bulletin #55

In a busy week for New Zealand tourism, Air NZ is commended for environmental sustainability and Rotorua nabs its biggest ever international conference.

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Air New Zealand wins top spot in Green Ribbon Awards

The Green Ribbon Awards are an annual event recognising efforts around New Zealand made to protect and enhance the country’s environment. Awards are given to communities, businesses, organisations and individuals alike, and this week Air New Zealand has been recognised as part of the Business Leadership category, winning the top place.

Judged on a range of factors including innovation, awareness, education, environmental benefits delivered, and results achieved, the company says that sustainability is a big part of how they do business.

“I am really proud of the work we are doing in this space and of the collective effort our people have made to embrace the programme and it’s fantastic to have these efforts recognised externally,” explained Christopher Luxon, Air New Zealand CEO.

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ITC Industry News Bulletin #54

It’s winners all round in New Zealand tourism news this week: Wellington wins a bid for a major business conference and NZ golf wins big.

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Wellington to host major business conference

More than 600 public management scholars will visit Wellington in 2019 as part of the XXII Annual Conference of the International Research Society for Public Management (IRSPM).

A conference of this size and importance is estimated to be worth $1.38 million for New Zealand’s economy.

Professor Brad Jackson is the Head of School of Government at Victoria University in Wellington, and is the man who made the bid for the city as the conference host. He said that “Tourism New Zealand and Business Events Wellington played a vital role in our successful bid to host in 2019”.

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ITC Industry News Bulletin #53

This week’s airline, travel and tourism news includes a fallout over budget cuts, changes to regional flight routes, funding for new attractions, and more.

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TIA ‘dismayed’ by funding cuts

The latest New Zealand budget has just been announced, and it includes a cut to the funding for the Department of Conservation (DOC). In the last budget, just over $378 million was set aside for DOC expenditures, while the 2016/17 plan has dropped to almost $345 million.

The TIA is ‘dismayed’ by this move, which sees funding drop by almost 10 per cent. Chief Executive Chris Roberts is concerned about how these cuts might impact the tourism sector.

“DOC has two core functions. The first is protecting our natural heritage – our indigenous species and the habitats and ecosystems that support them. The second is facilitating recreation and tourism, so that New Zealanders and our visitors are enriched by outdoor experiences,” he explained.

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ITC Industry News Bulletin #52

In this week’s New Zealand tourism and travel news, the country is breaking records for tourism spend, the cruise industry is going from strength to strength, migration is on the rise, and much more.

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International tourism spend tops $10 billion for the first time

Tourism New Zealand recently announced that spending from international visitors has now surpassed $10 billion for the first time ever.

Arrivals from the USA, India and China have all bolstered these numbers, which are up for the year ending April by 10.6, 11.4 and 29.2 per cent respectively. There have also been more arrivals from the UK and Germany, while Australia remains in first place with the most arrivals, which continue to grow steadily.

Tourism New Zealand Chief Executive Kevin Bowler was excited by the news.

“To see this level of growth in off-peak arrivals is exceptionally good news for the industry – by extending the traditional peak season it enhances employment opportunities and the value growth is bringing significant economic benefit to the country,” he explained.

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ITC Industry News Bulletin #51

This week in NZ travel news, a prediction shows just how much tourism could grow, an exhibition moves to Christchurch, and the TIA gets a new name.

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Tourism set to rise in NZ

Tourism figures have recently hit all time highs around New Zealand – and these statistics are only set to climb further, according to Associate Tourism Minister Paula Bennett.

She says that expenditure could increase by as much as 65 per cent by 2022, bringing the annual revenue to $16 billion. Bennett made these statements during the TRENZ national event in Rotorua last week, as part of the New Zealand Tourism Forecast 2016-2022 report.

At this stage, Australia is the largest source of income for the industry, but the forecast predicts that China will overtake our Tasman neighbours within the next two years.

“I encourage the sector to make use of this information which is aimed at helping the industry plan and invest strategically,” she said.

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ITC Industry News Bulletin #50

In this week’s tourism news, New Zealand wins a top award for adventure travel, TRENZ 2016 kicks off, and more.

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New Zealand wins Best International Destination for Adventure award

Each year, the Lonely Planet Magazine India Travel Awards recognise the best of the best for international travel. This year – and for the second year in a row – New Zealand has taken the top spot for Best International Destination for Adventure.

The award was announced at an event in Mumbai on May 9, where Australia and South Africa were named as runners up to the award.

Steven Dixon, regional manager South and South East Asia for Tourism New Zealand, explains what the award meant for the country’s travel industry.

“As a key market for Tourism New Zealand, the award is a positive endorsement from Indian travellers – which supports our work to drive interest and awareness with those considering booking a trip to experience it for themselves.”

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ITC Industry News Bulletin #49

Travel news in New Zealand this week includes a historic flight, a major investment, as well as predictions for future tourism.

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Queenstown celebrates first night flight

Up until May 1 2016, Queenstown had never been able to offer departures or landings after dark due to the airport’s location amidst the mountains. That all changed, however, when Air New Zealand landed its first ever flight after dark. The flight was the first test run for commercial services that will begin later this month.

A full schedule for passenger flights will come into effect not long after, which will see an additional 100,000 seats available between Auckland and Queenstown – an increase of roughly 15 percent on current levels.

This historic first was achieved with runway improvements, new airfield lighting and airline training and procedures.

“It really is a milestone for New Zealand aviation and we’re proud to be the first airline to offer this service to customers,” explained Air NZ Chief Flight Operations and Safety Officer Captain David Morgan.

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ITC Industry News Bulletin #48

This week, New Zealanders weigh in on the tourism industry and visitor numbers are up around the country.

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What Kiwis think of their own tourism industry

More than 1,000 New Zealanders were recently asked about their opinions on the local tourism industry in two surveys conducted by Tourism New Zealand and the Tourism Industry Association (TIA). The research, titled ‘Mood of the Nation’, sought to understand Kiwis’ perceptions about the industry as visitor numbers soar to ever-increasing heights.

As it turns out, Kiwis are largely positive about the trend, but they have outlined a few concerns. These concerns stem from issues such as the potential for a negative environmental impact, road safety, and lack of accommodation.

Chris Roberts, chief executive for the TIA, explained the results by saying “every day, in every region of New Zealand, visitors are having a positive impact. And it’s great that Kiwis want to be welcoming hosts. Manaakitanga is what makes the New Zealand visitor experience unique”.

Manaakitanga is the Maori word for hospitality and kindness.

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