ITC Industry News Bulletin #38
In this week’s airline, travel and tourism news, New Zealand is voted ‘Top Country in the World’ by Wanderlust Magazine, Kiwis are flying more than ever, Wellington is set for a huge weekend thanks to the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo, and much more.
TOP STORIES
New Zealand wins ‘Top Country in the World’ award voted by British travellers
The people of Britain have spoken: New Zealand is the ‘Top Country in the World’ according to readers of UK travel magazine Wanderlust.
New Zealand was rated the top nation out of 168 countries and scored an overall satisfaction rating of 97 per cent. Nearly 3,000 readers voted as part of the Wanderlust Travel Awards.
Tourism New Zealand General Manager of the Americas and Europe regions, Bjoern Spreitzer, believes this award tops off a great period of growth from the UK market.
“This award isn’t the only good news from the UK as the market is currently growing strongly – in 2015 almost 86,000 visitors chose New Zealand for their holiday, up 11 per cent on the previous year,” Mr Spreitzer said.
“British visitors are valuable to the economy as their average length of stay is more than three weeks and they spend money in most regions around New Zealand,” he added.
Kiwis flying more than ever as new destinations open up
As new flight routes become available, New Zealanders are showing a growing appetite for travelling abroad.
Flight Centre NZ general manager Sue Matson told the NZ Herald that bookings have been coming in thick and fast over recent months.
“Travel is booming right now and keen holidaymakers are really jumping on board,” she said.
“Where 10 years ago our average customer might have saved to take one holiday every second year, many are now booking two or three, and there aren’t really any places that are out of reach.”
The top destinations for Flight Centre are currently Australia and the South Pacific.
IN BRIEF
Six million plus tune into NZ-based Korean reality show
New Zealand recently got some great marketing exposure in South Korea when the sixth episode of ‘Where is my friend’s home?’ screened on television. More than 6.1 million viewers watched the episode, which was set in various locations around New Zealand. Read more.
Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo set to pump $16m into Wellington economy
With its first performance today (18 February), the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo is expected to inject millions into the Wellington economy. Accommodation in the city is already at full vacancy and more than 80,000 tickets have been sold. Read more.
Qantas to host first in-flight TED Talk
Four speakers will deliver inspiring TED Talks on an upcoming Qantas flight from Sydney to San Francisco. Qantas group executive Olivia Wirth said: “We hope that we can inspire many more Australians to follow their dreams and set up businesses not only here in Australia but around the world.” Read more.
Hotel Industry Awards expand to reflect success
The Hotel Industry Awards have been expanded from three awards to eight, it was announced last week. “We’ve expanded the awards to acknowledge individuals across the many diverse roles that go into the running of a great hotel,” says TIA Hotel Sector Manager Sally Attfield. Read more.
Queenstown Airport boosts first-half profit 31% as passenger numbers grow
Thanks to increased visitor numbers – both domestically and internationally – Queenstown Airport’s profits are on the rise. The airport has “set new records in the past six months, including hitting the 1.5 million passenger mark for the first time in a rolling 12-month period,” said chairman John Gilks. Read more.
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