International travelers can’t have enough of New Zealand it seems. Last year a record 2.7 million foreign travelers touched down New Zealand providing exponential figures for the
tourism industry, hospitality industry and the country’s economy.2013 witnessed an extra of 1, 14, 112 foreign visitors spending almost USD 365 million. Not only the entire 2013, the last month of the year saw a bumper tourism season. New Zealand immigration office recorded 3, 81, 000 visitors in December 2013.
Tourism NZ chief executive Kevin Bowler says the growth for the year was driven by traditional long-stay markets and the biggest source of tourists – Australia. The number of American tourists visiting was up 21.3 per cent on a year earlier while the number of arrivals from Australia, Canada and Germany also grew strongly.
“This continued growth is extremely positive, with Germany showing a great resurgence. Furthermore, the stabilization of the UK market continues ahead of our projections, with holiday arrivals up 9.9 per cent for the month and 5.7 per cent for 2013,” Mr Bowler said.
Arrivals from China, which now provides the second biggest number of tourists to New Zealand, rose 16.2 per cent during the year but fell by 10.6 per cent in December as the impact of the China Travel Law took effect.
The law, introduced on October 1, sets minimum standards for tour packages offered by travel agents in China which has led to up to a 30 per cent hike in the cost of a tour.
Mr Bowler said the new law was supporting its strategy of higher quality itineraries with better experiences to lift the value of the Chinese market to New Zealand and figures showed that tourists from China were travelling more widely and spending more than last year.
“This is very positive as we head into the Chinese New Year celebration which is historically China’s busiest travel period,” he said. The number of arrivals from Indonesia, where Tourism NZ upped its activity last year, grew by 11.9 per cent.
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