South Island tourism remains strong
Christchurch International Airport Ltd (CIAL) has reported a 6.8% total increase in passenger numbers over the same
quarter last year, alleviating concerns that the South Island's tourism industry is already suffering from the effects
of the global economic crisis.
While international passenger numbers decreased by 3.9% over the quarter, domestic volumes were up by 11.2%. CIAL's
General Manager Marketing & Business Development, Gareth Owen, believes that New Zealanders have as much inclination as ever to travel. "Increased
competition in the market has resulted in regular low fares for domestic and trans-Tasman travel, and we are seeing the
effects of that competition reflected in the volumes of passengers travelling. More New Zealanders than ever are using
Christchurch Airport as their tourism gateway, for short breaks around the country or for a longer holiday across the
Tasman", he says.
Mr Owen says CIAL is confident that the services currently operating from the airport are in a stable position, with
growth on the horizon. "Many of our airline partners are currently in expansion mode, with excellent load factors and
strong forward bookings", he says. "For example, Singapore Airlines are returning to a daily service in November, and
Emirates will be increasing their capacity by 100 seats per day with the commissioning of their new 777-300 aircraft in
February".
Christine Prince, Chief Executive of Christchurch & Canterbury Tourism, said it was encouraging to see the quarterly results holding firm. "As reflected in these figures
domestic and Australian visitors are becoming increasingly important to the region, a position that is likely to
continue until we see some recovery in the long-haul markets", she said. "Christchurch Airport is a key partner of ours,
and they work closely with Christchurch & Canterbury Tourism to drive business by supporting marketing and advertising campaigns. Our region benefits enormously
from the support of such a proactive airport."
The airport welcomed a record 1,472,300 passengers over the July - September quarter.
ENDS