Whale Watch Kaikoura Supports Goal of Tourism 2025

24th March 2014

Whale Watch Kaikoura Supports Aspirational Goal of Tourism 2025

Growing annual tourism revenues to NZ$41 Billion per annum is the aspirational goal of Tourism 2025 released today by the Tourism Industry Association New Zealand (TIA).

“The release today of Tourism 2025 is a major step in aligning the diversity of our industry by delivering us a framework we can collectively look to work within. I would like to congratulate Martin, his team at TIA and all those organisations and individuals that have contributed to its development and applaud them for having the courage to set such an aspirational goal for our industry,” says Whale Watch Kaikoura Chief Operating Officer Kauahi Ngapora.

Tourism 2025 – Growing Value Together/Whakatipu Uara Ngatahi is a framework to unite New Zealand’s large and diverse tourism industry and ignite strong, aspirational economic growth. It is an industry commitment to growing value by working together, for the long-term benefit of New Zealand tourism and the wider economy.

It is built around five themes:
• Grow sustainable air connectivity – around 99% of international visitors arrive by air so we cannot grow without it.
• Targeting for value – as the global landscape changes and our visitor mix evolves, we need to identify and pursue the opportunities that will deliver the greatest economic benefit.
• Visitor experience – our changing visitor mix brings changing visitor expectations. By continuously striving to improve our visitors’ experience, we will see visitors staying longer, travelling more widely and spending more.
• Productivity – by improving tourism productivity, we will improve returns from existing investments and attract new capital investment.
• Insights – good insights are critical to drive strategic and operational decision-making for tourism businesses.

“These five themes are fundamental to the on-going development of our industry and the framework advocates for collaboration at a range of levels which has never been more important given the size of some of the markets we are now targeting and the growing global competition vying for that important tourism dollar,” Mr Ngapora says

“We need to appreciate that good things take time and are achieved by many small steps so, although there are bound to be challenges along the way, if we can achieve the goal of Tourism 2025 our industry and indeed the wider New Zealand economy will benefit greatly”.

Established in 1987, Whale Watch Kaikoura has developed into a premier award-winning nature-based tourism operation, hosting up to 100,000 guests per annum with its fleet of 4 custom built catamarans.
Whale Watch Kaikoura is New Zealand’s only vessel based Whale watching company offering an exciting up-close encounter with the World’s largest toothed predator the Giant Sperm Whale in their natural environment at all times of the year.

To find out more about Whale Watch Kaikoura visit: www.whalewatch.co.nz

For more information on Tourism 2025, including extensive background insight, go to www.tourism2025.co.nz

ENDS

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