KEY POINTS:
Steps to reverse the decline in Japanese tourism to New Zealand are under way in Tokyo, with a $1.8 million promotion.
Tourism Minister Damien O'Connor said the Government had initiated a long term strategy to stabilise, grow and increase yield from Japanese visitors to address the decline in
the Japanese market.
Annual arrivals from Japan are now 47,000 below the peak of 173,000 in 2002.
Tourism New Zealand chief executive George Hickton said November's NZ Paradise Week in Tokyo was an important part of the work that Tourism NZ was doing to try to turn round the Japanese market.
The national tourism organisation had narrowed down target markets to focus on baby boomers, those interested in health and sustainability lifestyles, and "interactive travellers".
Japanese are a high spending group of visitors.
The average spend per Japanese visitor is $3597 per trip compared to an average of $2729. Japan ranks fourth in terms of total spend, after Australia, Britain and the United States.
Numbers and yield per visitor make Japan an extremely important market for New Zealand's international tourism industry, which brought in $8.3 billion in foreign exchange earnings in 2006.
Tourism NZ has had an office in Japan for 34 years and direct flights started in 1980. Its offices are in Tokyo and Osaka.
The majority of the $1.8 million promotion, managed by Tourism NZ, is being spent on online and TV advertising between October and next February. The immediate result is an increase in hits on Japanese Google and Yahoo websites about New Zealand.
Mr O'Connor kick-started the Paradise Week, the biggest New Zealand promotional event ever held in Japan. It features New Zealand's food, wine, fashion, music and tourism activities.
Tourism NZ has identified that New Zealand must initiate a long term strategy to stabilise, grow and increase yield from Japanese visitors. New Zealand must distinguish itself as a premier destination providing quality visitor experiences that match those sought after by Japanese interactive travellers.
A decline in Japan-NZ air services, and the comparative cost of airfares provide part of the explanation for the market decline, says Tourism NZ.
It says a "Visit Japan" promotion would stimulate demand for seats and make air services more viable and competitive.
Also, Japanese travellers' traditional image of a New Zealand holiday has been built around outdoor and farming scenes and fails to effectively meet contemporary motivations for taking a long haul holiday.
Tourism NZ started working in 2005 to change the perception of what New Zealand has to offer and to improve the perceived value of a visit down under.
The organisation has identified that perceptions of New Zealand as a visitor destination are outdated, relying on images of scenery and sheep.
Tourism NZ is reinvigorating New Zealand's image by highlighting culture, food and wine, lifestyle and spa, theatre, art, fashion, music and new tourism products.
Other areas of fresh focus are travel during the off seasons and on taking more time to travel through a smaller area or region, self-drive and self-cater holidays. Special interests like golf, hiking, gardening and spa holidays are also being promoted.
JAPANESE TOURISTS
126,000 during past year
173,000 in 2002.
* Anthony Haas is publisher of Asia Pacific Economic News.
- NZPA