NZ putting out welcome mat for Indian business visitors

NZ putting out welcome mat for Indian business visitors

Easing the way for high value Indian business travellers to come to New Zealand demonstrates the direct impact government initiatives can have in boosting tourism’s contribution to our economy, the Tourism Industry Association New Zealand (TIA) says.

“The Government’s announcement that Indian business travellers will be able to get their visas in just three days is exactly the sort of step forward that keeps us on the road towards achieving the tourism industry’s Tourism 2025 goal of almost doubling total tourism revenue to $41 billion a year,” TIA Chief Executive Chris Roberts says.

The Tourism 2025 growth framework identifies business events as a valuable opportunity to attract high value visitors to New Zealand during off-peak periods, creating demand for accommodation and other services at quieter times of the year. And business travellers often extend their stay, creating additional value.

Tourism 2025 also highlights the fast-growing middle class in India and other Asian countries as fuelling demand for travel to New Zealand.

Figures released today by the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) show that multiday conferences and conventions in New Zealand generated about 858,000 visitor nights in 2013, with delegates spending an estimated $478 million.

International delegates stayed an average of 6.7 nights in New Zealand, spending an estimated $343 per night. This is more than double the average spend per night for all international visitors.

Combined with the plans to grant single trans-Tasman visas for visitors travelling during the period of the 2015 Cricket World Cup, it’s great to see New Zealand putting out the welcome mat for Indian visitors, Mr Roberts says.

“TIA is working closely with Immigration New Zealand and other agencies to progress other initiatives that will make it easier for high value visitors from other markets, like China, to travel to New Zealand. We look forward to more announcements that will help streamline travel and increase visitor satisfaction,” he says.

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