Analysis

There are mixed results from Air NZ and Auckland Airport as they grapple with sustainability while travel ramps up.

An “exodus of youth” employees could hit NZ’s tourism hotspots just as the peak season starts.

Cost, safety and convenience are the top three considerations for Kiwis looking to book international travel in the next year, according to a new Booking.com analysis.

Kiwis are planning to spend more on both domestic and international tourism in the 3-6 months ahead.

A data tool for Australians considering travelling abroad ranks New Zealand as one of the ‘safest bets’ for in terms of getting past the custom gates and experiencing a level of relative freedom once there without significant exposure to Covid-19.

The number of people planning to spend more on a domestic holiday in the next three to six months over the key summer period remains steady at 20% in October, according to former Bank of New Zealand chief economist Tony Alexander.

Australasian travel technology company TripTech has developed a customised visitor review for the regions, called the Destination Analytics Report.

New Zealanders are among the most likely worldwide to take short trips in light of Covid and ongoing travel restrictions, according to Agoda’s Travel in 2021 survey.

The proportion of people who want to spend more on an upcoming holiday has dropped.

The industries are being hammered again by lockdown but food and IT are surging.

With borders possibly closed for another summer, some operators are close to breaking point, says TIA’s Chris Roberts.

More people travel for a break, but fewer travel overall for events in year to March 2021.

NZ can be the world’s “new premier thermal mineral springs wellness destination”.

About 60% of Kiwis say they will be comfortable travelling internationally after they get the Covid-19 vaccine, according to a Booking.com survey.

Queenstown’s a winner, but other parts of New Zealand could see domestic tourism spend diverted abroad.

Hostels are shutting their doors or being put up for sale as the market struggles without international visitors.

Merger and acquisition activity in 2021 could be driven by distressed tourism and hospitality assets, according to MinterEllisonRuddWatts.

This will continue to have a severe impact on New Zealand services exports, primarily tourism and international education.

That will leave a $12.9bn revenue hole for the sector due to the lack of international tourists, says Tourism New Zealand.

In the third in a fortnightly series of thought pieces written by New Zealand’s academic community, University of Canterbury’s Professor Girish Prayag asks, is it time for a ‘whole-of-government’ approach to tourism?

Associate Professor Heike Schänzel from Auckland University of Technology explores how tourism can contribute towards social capital.

In the first of a regular series, NZ’s academic community aims to stimulate discussion on the future of the tourism sector.

Three South Island regions were the hardest hit by stifled tourism spend during the three-month peak of New Zealand’s Covid-19 crisis, according to TIA analysis of the Monthly Regional Tourism Estimates.

And they intend to spend on average $2320 each, according to the poll from Horizon Research.

The minister says some operators will not survive, others will be preserved.

Tourism New Zealand has launched an industry survey to gauge the sector’s thoughts on the future of tourism.

Ara Roa Villa and Boutique Lodgings’ co-owner, Susanne Olsen, on building a luxury market in Northland, the power of word-of-mouth, and opportunities to grow the business.

Warbirds Over Wanaka general manager Ed Taylor talks about how the event – and the resultant crowd – has changed over the years, the economic benefits it brings to the region and the challenges of staging the show in a town suffering growing pains.

Destination Rotorua’s chief executive, Michelle Templer, on the crucial shift from destination marketing to destination management, the challenges in driving value over volume, and unlocking further investment into the tourism sector.

After celebrating its first year, Tekapo Star Gazing’s general manager Anton Wilke tells us about the opportunities to grow the guided hot pools and star gazing experience despite the challenges of operating in a small town.

Crankworx’s head of business development, Tak Mutu, on nailing the first festival with only seven months lead-time, the winning formula for commercial partnerships and the growing the economic impact of the event in Rotorua.

Chairman of the Hawke’s Bay Tourism Industry Association, Neil Barber, argues that plans by the regional council to slash Hawke’s Bay Tourism’s funding by 50% will hurt businesses and the region.

General manager of Lake Wanaka Tourism, James Helmore, on how the town’s tourism strategy has evolved, the requirement for better data and balancing the needs of the local community with a booming visitor economy.

Ruapehu Alpine Lifts’ GM sales and marketing, Michelle Caldwell, on finding opportunities to grow sales in the Australian market, the benefits of regional and national collaboration and the challenges involved in transitioning to become a year-round tourism business. 

The chairman of Tourism West Coast and local operator, Richard Benton, on a booming summer, why we should start charging overseas visitors for access to select natural attractions, and the challenge of attracting skilled staff to remote regions.    

Fresh from AIME, Kiran Nambiar, DQ’s new business development manager and head of the Queenstown Convention Bureau, tells us about forging new MICE partnerships, future growth markets and how capacity issues are being managed.

The Nelson Regional Development Agency’s chief executive, Mark Rawson, on managing record growth, driving seasonality, successfully tackling freedom camping, and integrating tourism into local planning. 

Haka Tourism Group’s sales manager, Chris Bain, on the company’s new sales strategy, expansion in China and a new product for that market, and how its new hotel assets are performing.

Jon Spraggon, chair of the Stewart Island/Rakiura Community Board, talks about the island’s long hot summer, a review of the visitor levy fund and a new offer for winter.

With Chinese New Year about to begin, China Travel Services’ Lisa Li shares her insight into that Asian market, how it is changing and why it is getting much harder to sell New Zealand there.

In a summer of heatwaves and downpours, the Coromandel was the first to feel the downside when a storm swept through the region in early January. Destination Coromandel’s Hadley Dryden tells us about the challenges, and an opportunity, that followed.

Waikato Regional Airport chief executive Mark Morgan tells the Ticker why the group has decided to enter the hotel market with a $3m acquisition and the plans underway to boost the CCO’s non-aeronautical income.

Hydro Attack’s marketing manager Esther Small on launching a new product in the competitive Queenstown market, the power of digital marketing and developing a suitable sales strategy 

Heritage Hotel’s Dylan Rushbrook on fronting up to hotel price increases, beating the boom-bust cycle and whether regional dispersal is actually working on the ground.

Land-based tourism operators in the Kaikoura region are struggling to get back on their feet but Glenstrae Farm 4 Wheel Adventures’ Alastair Trewin is trying to turn the disaster to his advantage with a new earthquake tour.

Whale Watch’s Lisa Bond tells us of how the business operated in the aftermath of last year’s 7.8-magnitude earthquake, coping with a crippled marina, and the company’s recovery strategy for the summer.

One year on from last year’s 7.8-magnitude earthquake, Destination Kaikoura’s general manager, Glenn Ormsby, says it has been a difficult recovery and, despite hopes among operators for a good summer, challenges remain. 

Tourism development consultant Dave Bamford on the Tongariro Crossing’s new management plan and why we shouldn’t be afraid to apply service and facility fees at our most popular national park sites.

First Light Travel co-founder, Brent Narbey, on establishing an OTA in New Zealand in the early 2000s, future-proofing a travel business and fostering talent within the industry.

Following the retirement of founders Chris and Sue Jolly, son Simon and his wife Katie are buying Taupo’s Chris Jolly Outdoors. Simon Jolly tells the Ticker of his plans, the launch of the operator’s cultural tours, and why the Taupo region has so much more to offer than just its beautiful lake.