Newsletter : July 2018
Written by Steph Kendall
Welcome to the New Zealand Tourism Guide July 2018 issue. If you have news or comments, please email us news@tourism.net.nz.
In this May newsletter:
- Visitor Growth from Key Visitor Markets Slows
- Kiwi Link India Attendance Record Met
- New Zealand Showcased on Japanese Television
- New Zealand Features on Chinese Tourists' Bucket Lists
- TNZ's 100% Pure Campaign Changes Focus
- What Rich Tourists Want from New Zealand
- Have You Signed Up With Latipay Yet To Accept Chinese Payments?
- Tips for Business: Communicating Effectively with Indian Visitors
- Tourism Site of the Month: Kaiteriteri Mountain Bike Park
Visitor Growth from Key Visitor Markets Slows
Expected market volatility is reflected in latest international visitor numbers released this month. The results show a slow-down in visitor growth from some of our key visitor markets.
China, USA, India and Indonesia saw positive growth in holiday arrivals for the year ending June 2018, while holiday arrival growth slowed for the Japan, Germany, Australia and UK markets.
Japan, Germany and UK are forecast to see limited growth over the next year due to changes in air capacity, a slowdown in youth sector travel, increased tendency to travel domestically and consolidation of travel following one-off peaks, including the 2017 Lions Tour. Australia is anticipated to return to growth later in the cycle as increased competition and capacity comes on stream across the Tasman. Positive growth is expected to continue from the China, USA and emerging markets.
Kiwi Link India Attendance Record Met
A record number of Indian travel agents attended Tourism New Zealand's annual Kiwi Link trade event in Mumbai this month as arrivals from this market continue to grow - doubling in the past four years.
Following Kiwi Link - the key trade training event - Tourism New Zealand also held training events for more than 50 travel agents in Bengaluru and New Delhi for which 26 of the New Zealand operators stayed on to participate in.
In attendance at Kiwi Link India this year were 40 New Zealand tourism operators, three airlines - Air New Zealand, Singapore Airlines and Thai Airways, Immigration New Zealand, and 72 Indian travel agents from 49 different companies.
New Zealand Showcased on Japanese Television
A combined audience of 11.7 million in Japan saw New Zealand featured in two popular TV shows, the longest running travel and quiz show, Discover the World's Mysteries and Another Sky.
There is a growing preference for New Zealand in Japan and the country is now home to the highest number 100% Pure New Zealand Specialists. These are travel agents trained by Tourism New Zealand to build must-do itineraries for their clients.
Japan is New Zealand's second largest Asian market and Tourism New Zealand is dedicated to growing the value of visitation from this market.
A key focus is how to leverage next year's Rugby World Cup in Japan to showcase New Zealand. Planning is currently underway to decide the best way to do this.
New Zealand Features on Chinese Tourists' Bucket Lists
Research for a hotel booking site (Hotels.com) shows New Zealand is on Chinese tourists' bucket lists and that ancient beliefs help influence where they want to stay. According to the research conducted, New Zealand ranks third equal with France in the list of where first-time Chinese tourists would like to visit during the next 12 months. In the past year New Zealand ranked 10th in where Chinese felt most welcome.
Next year is the "New Zealand-China Year of Tourism" when both countries hope for even more travel between the two countries.
- Wellington is top of the wish list for future visitors followed by Auckland and Queenstown.
- New Zealand only receives a fraction of the 120 million Chinese who travelled overseas last year. (80 per cent of travellers visited here for leisure.)
- Natural attractions were the big drawcards including Franz Joseph Glacier, Maungawhau/Mount Eden crater, Fox Glacier and Milford Sound.
- Chinese visitors are eager to taste local delicacies.
- Research also highlighted, however, how Chinese preferences for technology during their stays are not being met (Booking and reservation methods were not up-to-scratch for a third of travellers).
- Local transport arrangements along with Mandarin speaking guides and hotel staff were also areas which could be improved.
- The report also found that Chinese millennial travel anxieties were taken from ancient superstitions, more so than their elders (no mirrors opposite the bed and preferences to stay on floors other than 4 or 7 and in the middle of the corridor).
View more on Communicating Effectively with Chinese Visitors.
TNZ's 100% Pure Campaign Changes Focus
Tourism New Zealand's new 100% Pure campaign shifts emphasis away from landscapes to focus on people and culture but says that its new direction is not a response to those who say the claim is dishonest given New Zealand's not-so-pure environmental record.
Tourism NZ's chief executive Stephen England-Hall said the people and culture made this country unique. "For a number of years we really emphasised the landscapes - but landscapes are something everyone has got, so how do we bring another dimension? New Zealand's people and culture take centre stage."
New Zealand is competing hard for wealthy visitors against rivals in South America and Europe which promoted their spectacular scenery and the 19-year-old 100% Pure campaign had already been through a number of shifts in emphasis, including making New Zealand 100% Middle Earth.
The latest four videos were made for $875,000 and follow a couple as they take road trips across New Zealand's regions interacting with locals as they travel.
What Rich Tourists Want from New Zealand
Demand from wealthy tourists wanting to stay in extravagant penthouses and spend the day exploring their surroundings on luxury yachts is on the rise reports Stuff NZ. Kiwi-born multimillionaire Andrew Cox, who offers some of the most expensive accommodation in New Zealand, said rich tourists from North America, Europe, and Australia were leading the way.
Luxury tourism was a strong market, because it was "pretty much recession-proof," said Cox and stressed the need to 'wow' these individuals.
A very-high net worth individual is defined as someone who is worth between US$5 million (NZ$7.3m) and US$30m, while ultra-high net worth individual is worth more than US$30m.
Ahipara Luxury Travel chief executive Jean-Michel Jefferson said demand from wealthy tourists was strong, and always had been. For most wealthy tourists, luxury accommodation and fine dining was a part of their everyday life, Jefferson said. Most tourists who contacted him wanted "authentic deep experiences", which showcased the natural beauty of New Zealand. One of his clients, a Forbes rich list family, flew to New Zealand on two private jets in search of an authentic experience which included a wilderness lodge stay, hiking and a helicopter trip over Fiordland.
Have You Signed Up With Latipay Yet To Accept Chinese Payments?
New Zealand Tourism Guide has partnered with Latipay, an alternative payment technology company. This means we can provide you with a platform enabling you to accept Chinese payment methods from Wechat Pay and Alipay (the two most popular payment methods in China).
In 2017, over 420,000 Chinese customers visited New Zealand spending in excess of $2.5 billion. Chinese customers not only prefer to pay by Wechat Pay and Alipay, but they expect it. Alipay's marketing platform (Alipay Discover) can also influence Chinese tourists before their trip, prior to visiting a shop, during shopping trips and after the sale. It benefits Chinese customers by offering discounts and alerts users to your promotions on a geo-location basis making it one of the most highly targeted marketing methods possible.
Alipay is the preferred payment methods of Chinese tourists, at home and overseas and has over 450 million users. Latipay can be used on mobile devices, point of sale terminals, in-store and online. All of which can be managed through your own merchant dashboard where you can manage your users, funds, transaction history and income stream.
Discover how your business can get started with Latipay.
Tips for Business: Communicating Effectively with Indian Visitors
India is the seventh largest country in the world and has the second largest population. It has a large English-speaking population, is the world's largest democracy and has a fast-growing economy, which is helping many more Indians travel overseas. Tourist numbers to New Zealand from India continue to grow, so it's a good time to look at how your business responds to Indian culture and the ways in which your customer service can ensure Indian visitors take away good memories of their time in New Zealand.
Useful Things to Know
- There are many regional differences within Indian in terms of language, religion, geography and customs. People show a great respect for each other's position in life and towards older people.
- Maintaining harmony and displays of politeness are important. Silence or trying to change the subject is usually preferable to the direct approach (particularly the delivery of bad news).
- Indian travellers appreciate efficient service and the personal touch.
- Each religion of India has its own dietary rules and customers' dietary preferences should be checked in advance wherever possible.
- Always have vegetarian and if possible vegan options available and avoid offering beef (as the cow is a sacred animal in many parts of India).
- Be patient: Indian people have a flexible attitude to time - arriving late or rearranging timings is considered acceptable.
- Use words 'yes' or 'no' instead of head gestures.
- Use your right hand to serve food and shake hands.
- Remember shaking your head from left to right can mean 'yes' or emphasise a point or show agreement or understanding.
This is the seventh article in a series of tips for business focussing on how to give great customer service to international visitors. The first six articles focussed on:
- The Importance of Body Language (January)
- Active Listening and Understanding (February)
- Showing Respect and Awareness of Differences (March)
- Communicating Effectively in Words and Speech (April)
- Communicating Effectively with Chinese Visitors (May)
- Communicating Effectively with US Visitors (June)
Top Tourism Site of the Month
This month's Top Tourism Site Award goes to Kaiteriteri Mountain Bike Park.
Any one who enjoys mountain biking whether on easy or expert graded runs will find the Kaiteriteri mountain bike park irresistible. It's located in the Kaiteriteri Recreation Reserve in the stunning Abel Tasman region of the South Island. Its website helps riders out with trail maps, bike hires, tuition and much more and is packed full of breath-taking and inspiring images. It uses parallax scrolling very effectively to highlight the majesty of the scenery - check out the website... and then the trails!
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
- July 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