International tourist expectations on the increase

International visitors have higher expectations of what they will experience in New Zealand, according to new data, Tourism Minister Damien O'Connor said today.

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International visitors have higher expectations of what they will experience in New Zealand, according to new data, Tourism Minister Damien O'Connor said today.

The Regional Visitor Monitor (RVM), released today, shows that international visitor expectations are growing - both in general and in regard to a range of specific destination attributes.

These include beautiful scenery - up four percent to 65 percent for the year ending September 2007, safety and security - up four percent to 65 percent, friendly people - up three percent to 72 percent, and authentic culture - up four percent to 27 percent from the previous year. The results were similar for the domestic market.

Mr O'Connor said visitors have consistently had high expectations in these areas, but the fact that expectations are on the increase is an important trend to monitor and prepare for.

"These results are important as they reflect the expectations of our visitors and the need for us to continuously improve the quality of our tourism offer," said Mr O'Connor.

"Delivering a world class visitor experience is one of the key goals in the New Zealand Tourism Strategy 2015. We need to continue to be seen internationally as a desirable, high-quality destination, and the results of this survey further highlight the need for this goal to be met.

"Ensuring that New Zealand's tourism sector is prosperous and attracts ongoing investment is another key goal in the Strategy. This includes continuing to ensure our businesses deliver products and experiences that meet the expectations of high value visitors," said Mr O'Connor.

The RVM is an ongoing survey undertaken in six participating regions. It is done in partnership between the government, Tourism New Zealand and Regional Tourism Organisations for Auckland, Rotorua, Wellington, Canterbury, Queenstown and Dunedin.

The survey gathers information concerning visitor profiles, visitor motivations and expectations, travel planning and patterns of visitor activity, visitor satisfaction, and visitor expenditure - all at a regional level.

Copies of the report can be found at: _www.tourismresearch.govt.nz

ENDS

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