Tourism operators are looking forward to a great few
months ahead with Labour weekend and Easter marking the
traditional start and finish of the New Zealand tourism
industry’s high season.
Tourism Industry Aotearoa
(TIA) Chief Executive Rebecca Ingram says operators
nationwide are preparing to provide incredible experiences
that visitors can remember for a lifetime. While the quieter
winter has been challenging for many tourism businesses,
feedback from TIA members suggests good forward bookings for
the summer and general optimism for the 12 months
ahead.
“The combination of kiwis
escaping for a well-earned holiday and international
visitors arriving will have a positive impact on communities
across the country this summer in terms of vibrancy, spend
and employment opportunities. Many business owners will be
putting the finishing touches on plans in preparation, and
are looking forward to being busy,” Ms Ingram
says.
Lylo Managing Director Tim Alpe
said his team “are super excited for the upcoming summer
and hoping to see good demand across all LyLo
properties”.
“LyLo is all about meeting other
likeminded travellers and it’s our role to ensure we
provide unique experiences that bring people together.
Whether that’s organising day trips to Waiheke Island,
morning yoga classes or hitting the CBD bars on an organised
pub crawl, a massive focus for LyLo crew over summer is
providing more than just a bed.
Summer weather makes
it easier to embrace all that New Zealand has to
offer.”
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LyLo, a New Zealand Tourism Awards
Booking.com Resilience and Innovation category finalist,
operates lifestyle hotels in locations across the country
and has recently opened in Australia.
“Like all
tourism players, summer is key for our business and the
signs are positive that we will see our properties full of
visitors. Summer also brings a lot more events such as Sail
GP, Laneway, Rhythm and Alps, and Cup week to our cities,
which are an important source of business,” Mr Alpe
says.
Hobbiton Movie Set’s General Manager Tourism
Shayne Forrest said the summer ahead is looking positive,
with strong forward bookings and demand already in
place.
“We’re anticipating the summer season to be
a sellout, as it was last year. International visitors have
returned to our beautiful country quicker than
anticipated,” Mr Forrest says.
“Last summer was
the big change to the Hobbiton Movie Set tour with the
addition of the Bagshot Row interior Hobbit Holes. With this
addition, we increased our experience from 2 hours to 2.5
hours and reduced our tour departures to ensure we offer the
best visitor experience possible.
“This summer we
will continue to refine our processes and enjoy hosting
visitors from New Zealand and around the world. We’re
really looking forward to hosting them and sharing our slice
of real Middle-earth,” Mr Forrest says.
The
Matamata-based experience is a finalist in this year’s
tourism awards for the NZME Visitor Experience Award,
Johnston’s Coachlines Tourism Excellence Award (Large
Business), and the Booking.com Resilience and Innovation
Award.
Coming summer an important one for
tourism
Tourism businesses and many hospitality and
retail businesses are preparing to welcome visitors from
across Aotearoa New Zealand and from
overseas.
“Tourism brings economic diversity,
resilience, generates jobs and fosters regional prosperity
while showcasing our cultural richness and fostering pride
of place. We’re looking forward to making a difference
this season to the over 300,000 kiwis directly and
indirectly employed by tourism,” says Ms
Ingram.
Overall, in the year to August, international
visitor arrivals are up 19.9% over the previous year but
this is about 83% of 2019 levels. However, the industry
still has a way to go to restore its place as the
country’s number one export earner, as per the
industry’s goal set out in Tourism
2050: A Blueprint for Impact.
“We always thought
it would take a few years for tourism to regain its momentum
and this is proving to be the case with holiday arrivals to
New Zealand plateauing. There is opportunity to make an even
greater contribution to our economy and the communities
we’re part of. We believe that, with the right settings,
tourism could be worth $55 billion a year by 2030,” Ms
Ingram
says.
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