Record Arrivals Provide Early Winter Boost

Record Arrivals Provide Early Winter Boost For Tourism

The tourism industry received an early winter boost in June, with Australia holding up visitor arrivals and promising a strong ski season.

Statistics New Zealand figures out today show international visitor arrivals were up 8 per cent in June 2010, compared to 2009, to 145,800 visitors. They were up 3.7 per cent for the year to date.

Growth for the month was led by a strong start to the winter ski season out of Australia (up 7 per cent to 76,200 visitors), and recovery in key Asian markets following last year’s Influenza A H1N1 (Swine Flu) pandemic.

Tourism New Zealand Chief Executive Kevin Bowler said this return to some growth, particularly among the Asian markets, added to his confidence that New Zealand was getting back on track with international arrivals.

“China, Japan and Korea are warming up and the outlook is slightly brighter, but we have yet to turn the corner to get back to the growth we were seeing a year ago across Asia and there remains some underlying weakness in the western markets,” he said.

Much of the growth in Australian arrivals came in the final week of June, when the first of the school holidaymakers began to arrive.

Kevin Bowler said these early figures, and feedback from the Australia, were a good indicator that New Zealand could expect a strong winter ski season out of Australia.

“Tourism New Zealand’s joint ‘Big Shout’ campaign with Air New Zealand in March/April, as well as plenty of activity in market by both Tourism New Zealand and our joint venture partners, have helped build on strong word of mouth following last year’s bumper ski season.”

Visitor arrivals from Western markets were down in June. Political and economic uncertainty, more expensive airfares, shortages of airline seats, and the ‘stay at home’ effect of the FIFA World Cup, were among the factors influencing declines in arrivals from the US, UK and Germany.

ENDS

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