ITC Industry News Bulletin #73
In this week’s airline, travel and tourism news, tourism is NZ’s top export, Taranaki has been named as the second-best destination to visit in 2017, and much more.
TOP STORIES
New Zealand’s top export announced: Tourism
New Zealand has long been known for its exports in dairy and agriculture, but new data has shown that tourism is now the number one export for the country.
In the year ending March 2016, the international tourism market drew $14.5 billion to the economy. Plus, more than 188,000 people are directly employed within the industry.
Tourism New Zealand Chief Executive Kevin Bowler, who is leaving the role after seven years in the position, is extremely proud of the result.
“The impact of tourism spend is far ranging, benefiting retail owners, supermarkets, petrol stations, restaurants and cafes in addition to accommodation and travel spend” he added.
Taranaki ranked 2nd best place in the world to visit in 2017
Lonely Planet has named Taranaki as the second-best region to visit in the world in 2017. No New Zealand destination has ever ranked so highly in Lonely Planet’s annual ‘Best in Travel’ awards.
The region comes in after Choquequirao, Peru, and is joined in the top 10 by South Australia (fifth place).
Lonely Planet named the Pouakai Crossing (a single-day trek on Mount Taranaki) as one of the many reasons why the region ranked so highly. Additionally, the Govett-Brewster Art Gallery and Len Lye Centre – a contemporary art museum – were also mentioned.
Stacey Hitchcock, a regional spokeswoman, said the win wouldn’t come as a surprise to locals who get to enjoy the many attractions of Taranaki throughout the year.
IN BRIEF
Luxury lodge to expand tourism sector in far north
A luxury lodge opening on November 1 in the far north is set to add new jobs to the tourism sector in the area. Helena Bay cost developers in excess of $60 million and is located on the waterfront just south of the Bay of Islands. Read more
Campaign set to attract European backpackers
A new campaign is underway to attract backpackers from Germany and the UK to New Zealand. More than 159,000 young travellers visited the country from these areas last year, and Tourism New Zealand is keen to grow that figure further. Read more
Incentive travel brings $94 million to NZ
Incentive travel, along with conference and events, brought in an estimated $94 million in travel spend for New Zealand last year. Tourism NZ has recently been at a three-day event in Las Vegas to further promote the country as the ideal location for incentive travel and event hosting. Read more.
Shanghai event showcases Queenstown to thousands
A month-long event run by Amway China will showcase Queenstown to as many as 45,000 people this month. The display includes scenic backdrops for photo taking, and examples of the activities on offer such as skydiving and bungy jumping. Read more
New attraction unveiled in Whangarei
Whangarei’s newest attraction was unveiled this week in the Town Basin. Te Kakano – ‘The Seed’ – is a precursor to the Hundertwasser Art Centre, which is still in the works. Read more
Wanaka hotel named best in New Zealand
Wanaka’s Lakeside Apartments hotel has been named as the best in the country for the second year running by the 2017 Trivago awards. The title is decided by an average of user ratings and reviews from more than 250 booking sites. Read more
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