Andrew Little
Tourism Spokesperson

13 March 2013

Key leaves tourism operators in the lurch

The number of people staying in hotels and motels fell by 4% in January, an indication that tourism is yet another victim of a high New Zealand dollar, says Labour’s Tourism spokesperson Andrew Little.

“Tourism Minister John Key’s lack of stewardship is leaving many operators in the lurch.”

Figures from Statistics New Zealand released yesterday show a 4.1% fall in guest nights in January compared to December and a fall in all types of guest accommodation except backpackers.

“These figures are consistent with MoBIE’s figures last month showing a 2% drop in visitor numbers last year along with a 6% fall in international visitor spending.

“It’s not enough for John Key to hide behind the age-old excuse of world economy slow-down because even visitors from countries doing alright, like Australia, China and Germany, have fallen.

“It’s clear our high dollar is making New Zealand a less attractive place to visit.

“The Government put all its tourism eggs in the Rugby World Cup basket for 2011, with no follow up, and now we’re seeing the results, or lack of them.

“When John Key was pressed about his plans for the portfolio in written parliamentary questions he admitted that he had not taken a single paper on tourism strategy to Cabinet this side of Christmas and has no new ideas to propel the portfolio forward.

“These figures should ring alarm bells for the Tourism Minister. Perhaps when he returns from his latest trip he can spare some time for the situation at home,” Andrew Little said.

ENDS

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