ITC Industry News Bulletin #59
In New Zealand tourism news this week, Rotorua looks set to meet its tourism targets, and India may be the next big market for international visitors.
TOP STORIES
Rotorua on track to meet tourism targets
Tourism Industry Aotearoa recently released a Local Government Manifesto calling on communities around the country to make the most of the endless tourism opportunities currently arising in New Zealand.
According to the Rotorua Lakes Council, the Rotorua district is on the right track. The region hosts major events such as the mountain biking mecca Crankworx and the Rotorua Half Ironman, as well as offering a number of natural attractions.
Jean-Paul Gaston, strategy and partnerships group manager for the council, said that investment in the industry was ongoing.
“Tourism is at the forefront of our thinking when it comes to future planning, economic strategies, improvements and new developments, events, assets and the planning and/or improvement of infrastructure,” he explained.
Tourism New Zealand focuses on India
In 2013, India was marked as a priority emerging tourism market for New Zealand, and after three years of growth, it appears the effort and investment have paid off.
There has been a whopping 68 per cent increase in arrivals over the last three years, as holiday visitors rose from 14,000 back in the year to May 2013 up to 23,856 for the year to May 2014. It’s believed the Cricket World Cup played a role, and that the independent professional category makes up the majority of visitors.
Tourism NZ is already expecting more increases in the future. The Ministry of Business Innovation and Employment’s recent forecast on the market suggests visitors will only increase from India, which may be buoyed by initiatives such as Kiwi Link India.
IN BRIEF
Tourism NZ asks for input on four-year plan
Tourism New Zealand has appealed to consumers to ask what they should be doing differently in the future. The group is in the final stages of planning its marketing strategy for the coming four years, and wants as much feedback as possible to help make those decisions. Read more
John Key seeks to attract more Indonesian tourists
John Key has been visiting Jakarta this week, where he helped launch a tourism campaign to encourage more Indonesian tourists to visit New Zealand. Currently, the number stands at roughly 17,000 annually, but he hopes that will rise in time. Read more
Air NZ allows Bluetooth devices during flight
Air New Zealand will allow Bluetooth to be switched on throughout all domestic and international services on devices on flight mode from today (July 21). Carrie Hurihanganui, general manager of customer service, said it would help to meet client demands. Read more
Interactive travel guides launched in New Zealand
A series of interactive travel guides have just been launched on the Apple iBooks store that are designed to inspire travellers to visit destinations through photographs and interactive features. The first to go live is called ’10 Years A Kiwi’ and features the Auckland region with images, PDFs, maps and brochures. Read more
New Zealand to host Rugby League games in 2017
New Zealand will help host the Rugby League World Cup 2017 alongside Australia and Papua New Guinea next year, it has been announced. Matches will be held in Auckland, Hamilton, Christchurch, and Wellington. Read more
James Cameron’s NZ campaign takes off
Last week, film-maker James Cameron launched a tourism campaign highlighting some of his favourite parts of New Zealand. This week, the campaign has been picked up by numerous international news outlets for its beauty and for how attractive it makes the country look. Read more
Posted in News, Travel and Tourism News | Tagged Air New Zealand, India, Indonesia, Rotorua, Tourism New Zealand | Leave a reply