Don’t forget about the smaller regions is the message coming from two mayors, as the Government hopes to boost tourism spending from international visitors.
The Government has celebrated figures this week, showing overseas visitors were up in April compared to the same time last year.
Tourism Minister Louise Upston announced a second tranche of tourism marketing dollars in hopes of further boosting visitor numbers.
But the Nelson and Whakatāne mayors want to put the focus on their regions.
The morning’s headlines in 90 seconds including passengers stuck on ferry overnight, new flights to Sydney coming, and the weirdest things we leave in Ubers. (Source: 1News)
“Tourism’s an absolutely vital part of the Nelson economy,” Mayor Nick Smith told Breakfast. “We’re up to about 80% of what we were pre-Covid.
“The part that’s a bit frustrating in a community like Nelson is that we also have a very important tourism businesses domestically for New Zealanders.
“When Aucklanders can pick up a $208 airfare to Australia – and having fares of $300 to $400 to get to Nelson – it just makes it hard for recovery.”
It comes amid a backdrop of some regional airlines saying they’re just months away from selling more aircraft and cutting flight routes.
Both Sounds Air and Air Chathams say calls for support continue to be ignored after years of conversations with multiple governments.
Whakatāne Mayor Victor Luca says he would like to see the Government subsidise Air Chathams through a “difficult period.”
“That would be the way to go, I think the New Zealand Government has a duty of care to the people of the country to step up and provide the support.
Smith said the Government’s doing a good job of promoting the country, but had a suggestion of his own.
“I would love to see the Government have another campaign of ‘don’t leave home before you see the country’ -type message’”
Smaller carriers warn they may have to sell aircraft and exit more routes. (Source: 1News)
$13.5 million to target overseas tourism market
On Monday, the Government announced another multi-million dollar boost for Tourism New Zealand in a bid to attract 72,000 more tourists to visit.
Upston said $13.5 million would be targeted towards the core markets of Australia, the United States and China over the next few years.
“We know how important marketing is to attract visitors, with around 14% of international holiday visitors directly influenced by Tourism NZ’s marketing activity.
“International visitors bring billions of dollars into the economy and these markets are the driving force behind our tourism sector.
“This investment is expected to generate around $300 million in spending, which is a very strong return on investment. International visitor numbers continue to climb and this boost will help drive further economic growth throughout the entire country.”
This week it also revealed it was investing $35m in the first phase of a roadmap outlining what the tourism sector needed to do to reach its goals, including a focus on the regions.
“International visitors bring billions of dollars into New Zealand, from big ticket spends to everyday purchases in local cafes and accommodation,” Upston said.
“We want to welcome more visitors to New Zealand, and we want our regional communities to improve their capacity to look after those visitors.
“The Government must work with industry to unlock the full potential of our tourism sector, and the Roadmap lays out initiatives and investments to ensure our infrastructure, workforce and communities can support further growth.”
