ITC Industry News Bulletin #30
TOP STORIES
New Zealand’s ten most Instagrammed locations revealed
Waiheke Island is New Zealand’s ‘most Instagrammed’ location, it was revealed earlier this week. The popular holiday destination secured the top spot ahead of several other beautiful places – see the full list below.
- Waiheke Island
- Mount Maunganui
- Hobbiton Movie Set
- Sky Tower
- Takapuna Beach
- Lake Tekapo
- Piha Beach
- Wanaka Lakefront
- Museum of Te Papa Tongarewa
- Skyline Queenstown
The list was compiled based on how many pictures were geo-tagged in each location.
Director of marketing at Tourism New Zealand, Andrew Fraser, told The Bay of Plenty Times that there has been an increase of activity on Instagram recently.
“We can see through the growth of the @PureNewZealand Instagram account and the popularity of the #NZMustDo campaign that both visitors and New Zealanders alike are turning to Instagram to share their New Zealand experiences,” Mr Fraser said.
State of the Tourism Industry 2015 report published
The future is looking bright for New Zealand tourism, according to a new report by the Tourism Industry Association (TIA), Tourism 2025, Centre for Land, Environment and People and Lincoln University.
Recently published, the ‘State of the Tourism Industry 2015’ report offers insight into how the industry is currently faring, and highlights both strengths and challenges moving forward.
The industry grew an impressive 10.3 per cent this year, bringing the total tourism expenditure up to $29.8 billion.
TIA chief executive Chris Roberts believes the biggest challenges moving forward will be seasonality, closely followed by staff and skill shortages.
“Ensuring we have the right people in the right place at the right time is a top priority for our industry,” Mr Roberts said.
IN BRIEF
[Hawke’s Bay] Tourists to flock in for busy summer
General manager of Hawke’s Bay Tourism, Annie Dundas, is predicting a very busy summer season, with new Jetstar flights alone bringing in approximately 100 extra people every day. Read more.
New convention centre/movie museum for Wellington
Wellington Council has voted unanimously to move forward with plans to develop a new convention centre and movie museum opposite Te Papa. There will be some private investment from personalities such as Sir Peter Jackson and Fran Walsh. Read more.
Customer focus supports China tourism growth
A new ‘China Visitor Insight’ report has identified strategies to help improve the Chinese visitor experience in New Zealand. “China is the fastest growing and second largest source market for visitors to New Zealand,” says Associate Minister of Tourism Paula Bennett. Read more.
Overseas travellers arriving at Auckland Airport may enjoy faster processing times thanks to the installation of nine more SmartGates. “The new gates ensure legitimate travellers can enjoy faster border processing and officers can focus more on the high-risk travellers,” says Auckland Airport Customs Manager Nicky Wagner. Read more.
Northland expecting a big tourist boost
Warm summer weather is expected to attract lots of wealthy Aucklanders and overseas visitors to Northland’s beaches over the next few months. “A lot of Aucklanders are feeling more wealthy and are more likely to spend some of that wealth on travel,” Northland Inc regional manager of general promotions Paul Davis told The Northern Advocate. Read more.
Te Papa is currently celebrating a major milestone – December 8 marked 150 years since its predecessor, the Colonial Museum, opened. There’s much to celebrate; since 1865 the museum has undertaken significant changes (including a new name, of course) and now attracts over a million visitors each year. Read more.
Celebrities who loved their trips to New Zealand
The NZ Herald has published a list of celebrities who loved visiting Aotearoa. Celebs on the list include James Cameron, Taylor Swift and Justin Timberlake. Read more.
Posted in News | Tagged Auckland Airport, China Visitor Insight Report, Instagram, State of the Tourism Industry 2015, Te Papa, Waiheke Island | Leave a reply