ITC Industry News Bulletin #15
In this week’s airline, travel and tourism news, New Zealand surpasses 3 million annual overseas visitors, new Easter Sunday trading laws announced, Air NZ reports record growth and much more.
TOP STORIES
Overseas visitors hit 3 million milestone
The number of overseas visitors to New Zealand surpassed 3 million for the first time ever late last week, Statistics New Zealand revealed. From July 2014 to July 2015, a record-breaking 3,002,982 visitors entered the country – a 7 per cent increase from the year before.
Statistics New Zealand population statistics senior manager Vina Callum said increased arrivals from markets such as Australia and China helped achieve this important milestone.
For more coverage about this milestone, and how it relates to the Tourism 2025 goals, see these statements from the Tourism Industry Association and Tourism New Zealand.
Easter Sunday shop trading law to change
The government has announced major changes to the Easter Sunday trading law. Local councils will now be able to decide whether or not retailers will open on Easter Sunday in their region.
Workplace Relations and Safety Minister Michael Woodhouse said the law change is designed to ensure the rules are fair around the country, as currently some towns are able to trade while others are not.
“The proposed law change will enable communities to choose whether or not to allow trading. It will mean regions, especially tourist areas, can respond where there is strong demand for Easter Sunday trading,” Mr Woodhouse said.
“In addition, the law change will give workers the opportunity to decline to work or accept work if they wish to on that day – with no reason necessary.”
‘We’re not a one trick pony’ – tourism industry not worried by China woes
China’s economy may be slowing, but this doesn’t present a major concern for New Zealand’s thriving tourism industry, at least not according to TIA chief executive Chris Roberts. Mr Roberts appeared on TVNZ’s Breakfast programme yesterday morning (August 26) to discuss how China could impact the Tourism 2025 goals.
“China is a big story in tourism, but only a third of the growth we are seeing in total is coming from China,” Mr Roberts said.
“We’re also seeing very strong growth out of USA, good steady growth out of our biggest market Australia, Germany’s going well, the UK’s rebounded, so we’re not a one-trick pony. It’s not all about China which helps our resilience as an industry.”
IN BRIEF
Air New Zealand announces record annual result
Air New Zealand has experienced another bumper year of growth, with earnings for the 2015 financial year up 49 per cent from the previous year, the airline announced earlier this week. Chief executive Christopher Luxon expects this upward trend to continue over the coming 12 months. Read more.
New Zealand’s profile rocketing with major events, film and media results at record levels
New Zealand has received outstanding media coverage over the past 12 months, with more than 22,000 stories published around the world about our attractiveness as a destination, according to figures released by Tourism New Zealand. Read more.
The New Zealand cruise industry is “on the cusp of record growth” according to Cruise New Zealand general manager Raewyn Tan. Data from the Cruise New Zealand Economic Impact Summary Report shows the country is attracting more and more cruise ships. “The next two seasons will break all New Zealand cruise records and this upward trend is expected to continue over the longer term,” Ms Tan said. Read more.
Beyond ‘haka, hongi and hāngi’ tourism
Māori tourism operators are moving beyond ‘haka, hongi and hāngi’ offerings and diversifying their attractions. “We have a huge variety of Māori experiences, including fly fishing, diving, hunting, rongoā (traditional medicine/therapies) and we’ve got Māori-themed restaurants and accommodation,” said Māori Tourism chief executive Pania Tyson-Nathan. Read more.
Tourism Industry Awards finalists named
The Tourism Industry Association has named 34 finalists for this year’s Tourism Industry Awards. Selected from over 100 applications, the finalists are from all around New Zealand and represent the wide spectrum of the industry, from small local businesses to large corporate entities. Read more.
Promoting peace through tourism
One young woman is travelling the world in the aim of promoting peace and cultural awareness through tourism. “The key messages are really to travel with kindness and an open mind,” says Cassandra De Pecol, who is supported by SKAL International. “In this day and age it’s also extremely important to support local economies and eco tours while respecting the natural environment.” Read more.
Air New Zealand is rolling out several new technologies to make air travel easier and more enjoyable. NZ Herald reporter Regan Schoultz assesses the new technology, which includes check-in via Apple Watch, lifetime bag tags and electronic departure cards. Read more.
Posted in News | Tagged Air New Zealand, China, Cruise Industry, Cruise New Zealand, Maori Tourism, Tourism, Tourism 2025, Tourism Industry Association, Tourism New Zealand, Travel |2 Responses to “ITC Industry News Bulletin #15”
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Paul Senior says:
Thanks again for a greet Tourism Industry update again Jess. I have already used two of the industry update resources you have posted as references in order to write papers have written for my degree I’m doing at AUT :) Keep up the good industry updates!
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Jess O'Connor says:
Hi Paul, that’s great to hear! We are so glad you are finding these updates useful. Best of luck with your studies, it sounds like you are doing great! :) – Jess
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Paul Senior 
Jess O'Connor