Recovery

Tough economic conditions are not deterring travel, but fewer in the UK and Germany are considering NZ.

The major ITO says a strong recovery allows investment to help meet changing customer preferences.

Per person spend is significantly up on pre-Covid, according to a panel of leading inbounders.

The Matariki long weekend gave operators a welcome boost over the final stretch of the school holidays with decent weather also helping to fill tours and attract customers.

New Zealand’s trade deficit narrowed to $3.2bn dollars in the March 2023 quarter, compared with $3.9bn in the March 2022 quarter, according to data from Stats NZ.

Rotorua businesses are feeling more upbeat about the future of the city, according to the latest Business Pulse report by RotoruaNZ.

The International Air Transport Association has reported high levels of confidence among travellers for the peak northern hemisphere summer travel season.

However, the majority of UNWTO’s panel of experts agreed that international tourism would not make a full recovery to 2019 levels until at least 2024 or later.

The region’s tourism has bounced back from a difficult pandemic, buoyed by the return of foreign tourists.

The industry is expected to generate US$9.5tn in 2023 and surpass pre-Covid earnings next year.

Overseas visitor arrivals rose to 266,900 in February 2023, up 261,600 from the same month last year because of the border being closed then, according to Stats NZ’s latest travel figures.