'No alarm bells on the horizon': Hawke's Bay Tourism

Annie Dundas, Hawke's Bay Tourism general manager, does not believe there is cause for concern in the Hawke's Bay tourism industry. Photo/File

Hawke's Bay's tourism sector is one of the standouts in the region's economy and
Hawke's Bay Tourism general manager Annie Dundas says with "no alarm bells on the horizon", that probably won't change.

Since 2014, total visitor spending has increased by about $30 million per year and visitor spend is now in excess of $630m per annum into Hawke's Bays' economy.

"Tourism is cyclical and the country has seen incredible growth over the last few years. Hawke's Bay has been performing strongly and visitor spend has been growing at an average rate of 5 per cent per annum," Dundas said.

She said growth forecasts from entities like Auckland and Christchurch airports, which are both gateways into New Zealand, are "exceptionally positive".

"Air New Zealand's investment in new air routes (Chicago – AKL launches in November) and increased capacity on some routes is also a very positive sign that international visitors arriving into New Zealand will continue to grow."

Dundas believes, as a region, they rely heavily on the domestic tourism dollar.

"As long as Kiwis remain confident about themselves and our economy they will continue to keep travelling."

Investing in tourism promotion, bringing events here that bring visitors in and continually improving how we present ourselves to visitors were just some of the key things Dundas believes are pivotal to maintaining a strong tourism sector.

Last year saw the World Masters Games and the Lions Tour, both of which dispersed visitors around the country and made a strong economic impact.

Similarly, Dundas believes events like the America's Cup in 2021 are also important to keep New Zealand's international profile high.

"As a country what else is on the horizon?"

"Visitors have many choices and we need to ensure Hawke's Bay stays in their consideration set," she said.