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Tourism by numbers: Five key stats about NZ tourism

Posted on 04/09/2018 by

With scenery like this, it’s easy to see why New Zealand attracts millions of visitors each year.

It’s no secret that tourism is one of New Zealand’s biggest industries. But just how big and how important is tourism for our country? That’s a story best told in numbers.

Here are five key stats about New Zealand tourism to help you better understand the significance of the industry.

1. Tourism employs 399,150 people in New Zealand

Nearly 400,000 people are directly and indirectly employed in tourism in New Zealand, which equates to 14.5% of the total number of people in the New Zealand workforce [Source: TIA].

With the tourism industry booming, this number looks set to grow significantly over the coming years.

2. Tourism contributes $14.7 billion per year to NZ’s GDP

Tourism generates a direct contribution of $14.7 billion per year to New Zealand’s GDP (gross domestic profit) [Source: TIA].

The tourism industry is also New Zealand’s largest export earner.

3. Over 3.7 million people visited New Zealand in the year to June 2018

New Zealand continues to be a popular holiday destination; Aotearoa attracted around 3.7 million visitors in the year to June 2018 [Source: MBIE].

Of these visits, 39% came from Australia, 12% from China, 9% from the US, 6% from the UK, and 3% from Germany and Japan respectively.

Most of these visits were for holiday or family purposes, but New Zealand also welcomes a large amount of business visitors each year.

4. International visitors spend over $10 million per year

When international visitors come to New Zealand they tend to spend well, with total international visitor expenditure coming in at over $10 million in the year to March 2018 [Source: MBIE].

The average expenditure per person, per trip is $3,320.

5. Tourism needs 36,000 more workers by 2025

In 2015, the tourism industry was found to need at least 36,000 more full-time workers by 2025 [Source: NZIER report]. That’s just seven years away now, and a recent report suggests it will be a challenge for the industry to achieve this goal.

One thing is for sure: the industry needs more talented, ambitious, skilled tourism workers than ever before. Does that sound like you? Get in touch today to learn how ITC can kickstart your tourism career.

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