Auckland Airport unveils new international visitor ambitions

16 May 2014

Auckland Airport unveils new international visitor ambitions to meet tourism industry’s growth challenge

• annual international visitor growth of
between 3.6% and 5.5%
• 4.2 million to 5.2 million international visitors
• worth $19.1 billion to the tourism industry

Auckland Airport has today published its predictions for the growth in key international visitor markets through to 2025.

The information, contained in the Ambition 2025: High Opportunity Targets & Actions publication, is part of the airport’s strategic growth framework and supports the tourism industry’s goal of achieving 6% annual growth in New Zealand’s international tourism.

Adrian Littlewood, Auckland Airport’s chief executive, says, “Two years ago Auckland Airport unveiled a report which challenged the tourism industry to reach 3.5 million visitor arrivals by 2020, in what was a changing market environment.”

“Since then, the New Zealand Tourism Industry Association has released Tourism 2025, its strategic growth framework which targets 6% annual value growth. The Ambition 2025 strategy we are announcing today shows that Auckland Airport is focused on playing its part to achieve that 6% growth for New Zealand tourism.”

“Ambition 2025 sets out a range of predictions and insights for 18 inbound markets, both mature and emerging ones. Our extended predictions continue to indicate that New Zealand tourism’s best growth opportunities for international visitors lie in Australasia, Asia and the Americas. However, competition for these international visitors will be strong, with many countries targeting them.”

“Australia will always be a key market to New Zealand because of its proximity. Within Asia, China remains the stand-out prospect for growing tourism. While the USA remains the important key market in the Americas, the emerging prospects of South America cannot be ignored.”

“New Zealand must especially try to capture an increasing share of international visitors from the key ‘high opportunity target’ (HOT) markets, such as Brazil, India, Indonesia and of course China.”

“Auckland Airport predicts annual international visitor arrivals growth could be between 3.6% and 5.5%, therefore the tourism industry goal of 6% year-on-year growth in value to 2025 is very much achievable.”

“That means New Zealand’s international visitor arrivals could grow to between 4.2 million and 5.2 million by 2025.”

“The tourism industry is also targeting to increase the average spend of international visitors. Depending on how well we can meet demand and cater for market change, the potential spend of those visitors could be worth $19.1 billion to our tourism industry and much more for our wider economy.”

“The Ambition 2025 market insights we have released today are the result of the vision of Glenn Wedlock, until recently our general manager of aeronautical commercial. Glenn is currently on leave of absence while he undertakes treatment for cancer. To allow Glenn to focus on his treatment, he has shifted into a new role advising me on strategy and markets. I have started an international search to recruit a new general manager for Auckland Airport’s aeronautical commercial team, and Charles Spillane, our general manager Corporate Affairs, will lead this work in the interim,” says Mr Littlewood.

The following figures reflect the ‘Ambitious’ growth scenario:

Top 5 Markets – by visitor arrivals 2025

New Zealand’s 2025 International Visitor Targets

Top 5 Markets – by real visitor growth 2013 - 2025

ENDS

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