Australian visitors attractive right now

A109 Light Utility Helicopter flight with mayor Gisborne City from the air in November 2023.

Opinion

As New Zealand faces more competition than ever for global tourists, Australian visitors have never been so attractive.

For an industry that was at times the country’s biggest earner of foreign exchange before the pandemic, recovery in spending to pre-Covid levels is critical to our economic future.

Australia has long been our most important market for inbound visitors, in terms of numbers if not per capita spend. But holiday arrivals from across the Tasman are still stuck at just a little more than 80 percent of 2019 levels. That reflects the overall picture for international tourism.

There were 53,082 holiday arrivals from Australia in January, compared with 63,321 in January 2019. Australia was our largest visitor market in 2023 — 42.5 percent of all international visitor arrivals, contributing

$3.37 billion to the economy.

Tourism New Zealand has now launched an innovative campaign across the ditch.

Australian surf lifesaver Anthony “Harries” Carroll features in digital content showcasing that a summer-loving Australian bloke can have the trip of a lifetime in our winter season.

The Bondi lifeguard says he’s amazed at how much there is to see and do, and not just on the slopes. Hopefully his compatriots will be tempted by our skifields, as well as broader activities and the food and wine on offer.

But Tourism NZ chief executive Rene de Monchy says there is a cloud on the horizon. Although Australia continues to provide strong arrivals, the number of Australians actively considering a holiday here has declined since the pandemic — likely due to competition from other destinations and cost-of-living pressures. That number sits at around 3.9 million and while growing, the recovery is not guaranteed.

Most Australians look north to warm, sunny beaches for their international holidays during winter, placing New Zealand in direct competition with places like Bali.

Expanded transtasman air services such as those announced by Qantas in Christchurch and Wellington will help provide more seats and rein in prices, but we can’t compete purely on price. It’s now even more important for our tourism providers to win on providing value for a more premium experience, especially in  the cooler months.

The Government’s commitment to the sector — which felt undervalued by the previous one — will be tested in upcoming funding announcements.

For a tiny player in the global tourism market, Tourism NZ has consistently punched above its weight to grab attention but it faces severe cuts in the current funding track. Finding ways of redressing this would be timely, so the country can continue highlighting what it offers. — NZ Herald