Newsletter : June 2015
Written by Steph Kendall
Welcome to the New Zealand Tourism Guide www.tourism.net.nz June 2015 issue. If you have news or comments, please email us news@tourism.net.nz.
In this June newsletter:
Domestic Air Travel Gets Shaken Up by Jetstar
Jetstar plans to break Air New Zealand's monopoly on flights to regional centres by December this year, creating a major shake-up for domestic air travel. The low-cost carried, owned by Qantas, plans to fly to at least four regional centres initially – Hamilton, Rotorua, New Plymouth, Napier and Palmerston North in the North Island and Nelson and Invercargill in the South Island are being considered.
Jetstar says its new flights would bring "low fares competition to monopoly domestic routes around the country…" and answers calls for more choice and cheaper fare. Air New Zealand pulled out of three regional towns earlier this year, put bigger aircraft into the bigger cities and restructured regional fares after complaints that fares were too high.
Prime Minister and airport chiefs welcome the move. John Key said, "This will create jobs, mean cheaper fares and more choice for New Zealanders and our international visitors, and will provide a welcome boost to regional economies."
Megaship to Visit New Zealand in 2016
The Ovation of the Seas - a $1.3 billion megaship - will visit New Zealand next year but a suitable berth is still to be found in Auckland. If one can't be found for the 384m long ship, passengers may have to be ferried from the ship to shore by small boats.
Ovation of the Seas will be the largest cruise ship to sail in New Zealand waters. She carries almost 6,500 guests and crew and if stood up would be over 20 metres taller than Auckland's Sky Tower.
In her first season, the ship is forecast to inject more than $12 million into the New Zealand economy with a total of 18 port calls across the country including Dunedin, Wellington, Picton, Tauranga and Auckland.
Last year almost 66,000 New Zealanders took a cruise, up 150 per cent since figures were first compiled in 2006.
A Record Setting Autumn
Continued growth in holiday arrivals from Tourism New Zealand's target markets has resulted in a record-setting autumn, with total holiday arrivals up 16.5 per cent for the month of May.
The data, released today by Statistics New Zealand, shows total visitor arrivals for the year up 6.9 per cent and holiday arrivals up 9.8 per cent. Data includes news of target markets including:
- Chinese holiday arrivals up 31.1 per cent
- Korea up 19.3 per cent
- Malaysia up 12.2 per cent
- US holiday arrivals up 12.0 per cent
- Singapore up 9.6 per cent
- German holiday arrivals up 8.0 per cent
- UK holiday arrivals up 7.6 per cent
India, Brazil and Indonesian markets also performed well with total arrivals up significantly.
Reality Star Spreads News About NZ in China
Actor, director, singer, screenwriter and university teacher Huang Lei recently re-visited New Zealand for a family holiday celebrating the couple's 20 years together. The family worked alongside Tourism New Zealand and Air New Zealand to showcase New Zealand as a holiday destination for families and special occasions.
Huang Lei and his family spent eight days touring the top of the south island, supported by Destination Marlborough, Destination Kaikoura and Christchurch Canterbury Tourism.
The mega star made six posts to his Weibo social media account, China's equivalent of Facebook. His messages attracted more than 592,000 likes and news of the visit generated more than 530 media articles with an equivalent advertising value of more than 2.7 million dollars. His posts about food attracted the most attention including a lobster dinner cooked in Kaikoura.
The Chinese market continues to be a standout success for the NZ tourism industry with visitor arrivals up 29.3 percent for the year ending May 2015 and holiday arrivals up 31.1 percent.
Tourism 2025 - Growing Value Together/ Whakatipu Uara Ngatahi
This month, we would like to draw your attention to Tourism 2025 - Growing Value Together/Whakatipu Uara Ngatahi. This is a framework to unite New Zealand's large and diverse tourism industry.
The aspirational goal of the strategy is to increase tourism's contribution to the New Zealand economy from the current $24 billion to $41 billion in 2025.
Tourism 2025 is not a detailed strategic plan but a shared vision and commitment to growing value by working together for the long-term benefit of New Zealand tourism and the wider economy. It is about the industry aligning for growth to improve our competitiveness.
Development of the framework has been led by TIA with strong support from industry and public sector leaders.
Go to the Tourism 2025 website to find out how you can play your part to grow the industry and your business. The website includes the Tourism 2025 summary document – well worth a read - which signposts 'how we are getting there' (to $41 billion tourism revenue in 2025) covering:
- The value of domestic and international tourism
- Changes over the last 10 years
- Horizons of opportunity for New Zealand tourism
- The New Zealand experience
- International opportunities in a changing world
- Growing domestic tourism
- Tourism 2025 aspirational growth targets
- The Tourism 2025 Planning Framework: Productivity, Visitor Experience, Connectivity, Insight, Target
- High value Chinese tourism
- International students and their families
- Business events
- Christchurch
- Cruise markets
- Emerging markets
Although Tourism 2025 supersedes the New Zealand Tourism Strategy 2015, you will also find this of interest.
Top Tourism Site of the Month
This month's Top Tourism Site Award goes to Once Upon A Trip.
The beautiful images on this website are enough to tempt the most seasoned of travellers towards booking a holiday in New Zealand. The quality of the images is first class and the subject of the compositions - including a mixture of stunning scenery, mood and engaging portrait shots – is varied yet at the same time harmonious.
Once Upon a Trip also do a great job of telling the website visitor about their point of difference. They've tried and tested the product, handpick their partners and work with a small group of owner operators.
Nominate a Site
If you think a New Zealand travel or tourism website deserves a 'Top Tourism Site Award', let us know about it. (View further information about the award criteria).
About the Top Tourism Site Award
The New Zealand Tourism Guide confers a Top Tourism Site Award to websites that:
- Enhance New Zealand as a travel destination
- Publish useful and informative content
- Are laid out in a professional and aesthetically-pleasing manner
- Are designed effectively for the World Wide Web
- June demonstrate easy functionality, interactivity, originality, outstanding graphic quality and marketing reach.
We welcome any feedback — send your comments to: news@tourism.net.nz
Kind regards,
The Team
Ph 0800 14 65 49
www.tourism.net.nz
New Zealand Tourism Guide
Head Office: Ground Floor, 518 Colombo Street, Christchurch