New Zealand has launched a new marketing campaign aimed at luring back valuable international holidaymakers and clawing back nearly $20bn in lost tourism revenue due to the pandemic crisis.
As was the case in Ireland, New Zealand’s tourism sector was helped by domestic holidaymakers during the Covid lockdown period.
But – again, just like Ireland – the country still saw its tourism revenues take a huge hit due to it closing its borders to overseas visitors.
As a result of the Covid clampdown on tourism, New Zealand’s tourism revenues shrank from $41bn in 2019 to just $26bn, in comparison in 2021.
Some tour companies – heavily reliant on international visitors – saw their customer numbers dwindle by as much as 80%.
Tourism New Zealand recognises that domestic tourists have been and will continue to be hugely important to the country’s tourism industry.
However, it is now, once again, through a new advertising campaign, courting international visitors – specifically what it calls “high quality” ones, those who intend to stay for a longer period of time and spend more money as a result.
“I think one of the learnings is the importance of domestic visitors for tourism.” Tourism New Zealand chief executive Rene De Monchy said.
“The resilience of the sector will be built on New Zealanders getting out and about.”
But, those domestic holidaymakers also want to get out of the country and travel abroad after more than two years fenced in; raising the importance of in-bound visitors even more.
Since New Zealand reopened its borders, in July, the country has seen approximately 8,000 international visitors enter in August.
