Tourism aims to earn $41 billion in 2025
New Zealand’s tourism industry has today unveiled its goal to contribute $41 billion a year to the economy by 2025, up
from $24 billion now.
Released today, 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.
“Tourism 2025 is the industry aligning for growth. We can see the world has changed. We are excited by the new
opportunities, but we understand that as more and more countries enter the race for the global tourism dollar, we will
succeed only if we improve the competitiveness of New Zealand tourism,” Tourism Industry Association New Zealand (TIA)
Chief Executive Martin Snedden says.
“Our aspiration is for annual tourism revenues to be $41 billion by 2025. To achieve that, we must grow international
tourism at a rate of 6% year on year and domestic tourism at a rate of 4% year on year. The focus is value, rather than
visitor numbers. We will grow volume, but we will grow value faster.”
Tourism 2025 is not a detailed strategic plan but a shared vision and commitment to growing value by working together
for the long-term benefit of New Zealand tourism and the wider economy, Mr Snedden says.
“While there will be a range of collective actions, the stronger emphasis will be on recognising and valuing initiatives
which individual or small clusters of operators are taking that are fully aligned with the strategic thrust of the
Tourism 2025 framework and which are helping bring the framework to life.”
Development of the framework has been led by TIA with strong support from industry and public sector leaders.
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.
• Insight – good insight is critical to drive strategic and operational decision-making for tourism businesses.
“This approach gives licence to the whole industry, big and small, urban and remote, to understand and value the link
between the direction the industry is heading in at a high level and what they are doing within their own businesses.”
For more information on Tourism 2025, including extensive background insight, go to www.tourism2025.org.nz
ENDS