Strategy needed to capitalise on visitor growth – Editorial

The Lakeland Queen is back on the water. Photo / Kelly Makiha

Editorial

THE FACTS

• The Lakeland Queen has relaunched in Rotorua, signalling recovery after Covid-19 impacts.
• Kaikōura’s sustainable tourism plan balances visitor growth with environmental protection.
• International tourist spending rose 9.2% to $12.2 billion but remains below pre-Covid levels.

It must have been an awesome sight for proud Rotorua locals. The Lakeland Queen, a paddle boat/restaurant, slipping gracefully through the water.

Rotorua’s iconic tourist attraction had been in dry dock since October, 2021 when it was removed from Lake Rotorua, resulting in the loss of 15 jobs.

The decision was made amid the uncertainty of border closures and the Lakefront’s redevelopment.

But recently, she was relaunched, her recognisable facade cruising the waters again.

Signs are good that Rotorua is on its way to recovery: the Lakeland Queen, the Agrodome and the National Kiwi Hatchery, Whakarewarewa’s Redwoods Tree Walk glow worms expansion, the opening of Wai Ariki spa – and a new five-star hotel planned for the Lakefront.

That’s not to mention the emptying out of motels used for emergency housing, and their reversion to the purpose for which they were built – tourist accommodation.

Elsewhere in New Zealand, Kaikōura is a regional case study in taking a new approach to sustainable tourism, with the region just barely back on its feet after the 2016 earthquake.

Work by Destination Kaikōura and the local council has resulted in the Destination Management Plan 2022-2032 – a plan that has looked past the role of tourism promotion to stewardship of the region.

The Kaikōura Dark Sky Trust is hoping to gain dark sky sanctuary status for the wider district and dark sky community status for the township. Photo / Environment Canterbury

Its focus was on the challenge of large numbers of visitors flocking to the region for its pristine marine and coastal environments.

The need for balance was identified: how were they to protect the region’s natural beauty while growing the tourism dollar?

Some achievements from the plan include Kaikōura being recognised as an International Dark Sky Sanctuary, well-regulated freedom camping, and co-ordinated, multi-region travel strategies.

Queenstown has set the audacious but achievable goal of becoming a regenerative tourism destination with a carbon-zero visitor economy.

Auckland’s strategy prioritises high-value experiences, regional dispersal and digital innovation, while embedding te ao Māori values like manaakitanga and kaitiakitanga at its core.

Meanwhile, a recent International Visitor Survey reported the spending by international tourists had jumped 9.2% in the past year to $12.2 billion but still remains below pre-Covid times.

International visitor numbers were up 4.3% for the year ending March 2025, with 3.32 million visitors coming to New Zealand, up from 3.18 million in 2024.

This was also at 86% of pre-pandemic levels when compared with 3.87 million for the year ending March 2019.

The trajectory is pleasing, however, the industry needs to focus on quality over quantity – sustainable growth, but chasing the high-value tourist willing to pay a premium for a unique experience.

A growing focus on sustainable, authentic and immersive travel is now the norm – low-impact experiences, wellness tourism, cultural immersion, and digital innovation are key.

This evolution is our chance to ask ourselves what kind of hosts we want to be.

Both regional and urban tourism development organisations need cohesive and foolproof strategies to attract visitors willing to spend a pretty penny.

Tourism is more than an economic driver; it’s a way Aotearoa shares its stories with the world. Let’s make sure those stories are worth telling – and worth paying for.