Newsletter : August 2018
Written by Steph Kendall
Welcome to the New Zealand Tourism Guide August 2018 issue. If you have news or comments, please email us news@tourism.net.nz.
In this May newsletter:
- Do You Offer Discounts for Direct Bookings?
- Coastal Pacific Scenic Journey Back on the Rails in December
- Human Catapult Attraction Launched
- Guide to Top 500 Food Experiences has Kiwi Flavour
- New Zealand Visitors Spending More
- Tips for Business: Communicating Effectively with German Visitors
- Tourism Site of the Month: Larchview Holiday Park
Do You Offer Discounts for Direct Bookings?
If you offer discounts for customers making their booking directly with you, the BOOK DIRECT & SAVE button on your New Zealand Tourism Guide listing can help you promote them. The BOOK DIRECT & SAVE's distinctive green button is clearly displayed on the left-hand side of your listing under the image. When customers click the button, they will be sent directly to your own booking facility and have access to your best rates.
This is a great way to avoid the commission model and the Book Direct button can be added at any time to your listing when you provide discounts for direct bookings. Simply email us to arrange this.
Coastal Pacific Scenic Journey Back on the Rails in December
One of New Zealand's great rail journeys - KiwiRail's iconic Coastal Pacific scenic journey - will start again from the beginning of December later this year. This comes two years after the service was put on hold while the railway line was rebuilt following the Kaikoura earthquake.
The rail journey between Picton, at the northern end of the South Island, and Christchurch on the eastern coast is a journey beginning (or ending) at Picton, in the Marlborough Sounds, passing through the Marlborough wine region, and following the coastline south to Christchurch. The 6-hour train trip includes 98km travelling along the rugged Pacific coastline. It also journeys through 22 tunnels and crosses 175 bridges.
Human Catapult Attraction Launched
AJ Hackett Bungy New Zealand co-founder Henry van Asch revealed a new world-first adventure tourism experience this month – the Nevis Catapult – situated in the Nevis Valley near Queenstown, New Zealand.
The Catapult sees thrill seekers experience up to 3G of force and speeds of almost 100km per hour in 1.5 seconds, as they are propelled 150m out across a ravine before dropping suddenly towards the valley floor and experiencing a series of bounces.
Specialist new technology for the multi-million-dollar Catapult was developed with the company's research team before being built in an accredited testing facility in Christchurch and then brought to site for full scale installation, testing and commissioning. Testing has been conducted out-of-sight over the past nine months – beginning with weighted barrels, before moving on to a test dummy phase and finally human testing.
The Catapult is developed to internationally recognised global safety standards and regulated under New Zealand adventure tourism and amusement device standards. Still, not one for the faint-hearted.
Guide to Top 500 Food Experiences has Kiwi Flavour
Lonely Planet has included as part of its new publication, The Ultimate Eatlist, a list of 500 of the top food experiences in the world. The highest New Zealand entry on the list was eating crayfish in Kaikoura – coming in at number seven (outranking eating dim sum in Hong Kong and pizza in Naples). Also featuring were eating whitebait fritters (at number 54), hangi (at 34), Hokitika Wildfoods Festival (at 346), manuka honey (at 438) and pavlova (coming in at 429, with shared honours between Australia and New Zealand).
Dishes were ranked according to taste, cultural importance and special atmosphere of the location.
Photo Credit: Anna Barnett via flickr
New Zealand Visitors Spending More
According to Tourism New Zealand, international visitor spend is growing faster than arrival numbers showing the value of visitors to New Zealand is increasing. For the year ending 30 June 2018, total visitor spend was up 9 percent to $11.13 billion while visitor arrival numbers were up 4 percent to 3.78 million. Average spend by visitors has also increased by 4 percent to $3,290 per visitor.
"Tourism New Zealand's number one priority is attracting high value visitors to New Zealand. High value visitors are those who visit New Zealand off peak, visit multiple regions and spend more while they're here. As previously forecast, visitor arrivals are continuing to grow, albeit at a more moderate pace over the short term," says Stephen England-Hall, Tourism New Zealand Chief Executive. "Over the long-term through to 2024, we expect positive growth from all markets with visitor spend exceeding $14.8 billion."
Strong growth continues from two of New Zealand's largest key markets, China and the USA, with arrivals increasing 11 percent each. Arrivals from Japan for the year ending June 2018 remain stable with the previous year, while total spend has decreased by 12 percent to a total of $253 million.
Tips for Business: Communicating Effectively with German Visitors
Germany is New Zealand's second-largest visitor market in Europe and despite European economic challenges, German visitor numbers have remained relatively consistent. For many Germans, New Zealand is an aspirational destination.
Useful Things to Know
- You can welcome your guests by saying 'Willkommen' meaning welcome (followed by their title and surname unless you know them well). It is customary to greet guests, including children, with a quick, firm handshake.
- English is taught at school in Germany and most young people will be comfortable speaking it. The older generation may be more hesitant. Strong accents or use of idioms may be hard for Germans to understand.
- Generally-speaking good manners and a serious attitude avoiding displays of affection are the norm. Fairness, equality and honest are highly valued.
- Directness is a feature of German conversation and although it can come across as blunt or impolite, it is not generally intended in this way.
- Germans value their national identify and are proud of their reputation for hard work, efficiency and the achievements associated with their country; good beer, engineering, scientific and medical goods and car manufacturing.
- Good customer service characterised by punctuality, efficiency and organisation is very important. This means German visitors will expect you to be precise, a tour for 10.00am means 10.00am and not 10.05am.
- You will be expected to act professionally, be fully informed and prepared for all eventualities.
- Misinformation, a change of plans or starting a new task before the last is finished may also frustrate or annoy a German visitor (for example, an entry fee not being displayed).
- Provide detailed information covering all aspects of their activity, accommodation or tour.
- Ensure that everything is clean, tidy and in order and provide clear recycling points and directions as Germans are very environmentally conscious.
This is the eight article in a series of tips for business focussing on how to give great customer service to international visitors. The first seven 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)
- Communicating Effectively with Indian Visitors (July)
Top Tourism Site of the Month
This month's Top Tourism Site Award goes to Larchview Holiday Park.
Proving there is still very much a space and place on the Internet for 'unflashy' websites is the Larchview Holiday Park. The family-run business states that it focuses on 'grass roots holidays where the TV and iPad are forgotten' and the presentation of their business aligns very closely with this. It's swimming and playgrounds on site for the kids, close to many other activities which ensure everyone goes to bed tired, but happy.
It doesn't employ a plethora of functions such as 360° tours, video interview or even very high-quality photography. It lets the park speak for itself using clear navigations and simple, easy to read fonts. Anyone looking for an unfussy, unfrilly, family-friendly holiday that welcomes well-behaved family pets too will book straightaway regardless.
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
- August 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