Activating domestic tourism

Activating domestic tourism

New Zealand tourism businesses and promotional agencies will soon have a new and innovative online tool to help them activate domestic tourism.

Development of the tool and the research behind it is being spearheaded by the industry’s peak independent organisation, Tourism Industry Aotearoa, with funding and support from private and public sector industry partners.

Domestic tourism is currently worth $18 billion a year, 60% of total New Zealand tourism industry annual turnover, with potential to increase that significantly, says TIA Chief Executive Chris Roberts.

“The new online tool will help tourism operators and Regional Tourism Organisations identify target domestic audiences – demographics, motivation for travel, when they want to visit, what else they are interested in doing and which type of accommodation they prefer.

“It will also identify the best ways to reach those audiences, for example through traditional media or social media platforms such as Facebook or YouTube.”
Mr Roberts says the ultimate goal of the activating domestic tourism project is to deliver at least a $9 billion increase in domestic visitor spend by 2025.

“By encouraging Kiwis to get out and visit more regions and to travel throughout the year, it will also help address regional dispersal and seasonality – two of the New Zealand tourism industry’s thorniest issues.”

Mr Roberts says activating domestic tourism is turning the spotlight on a part of the industry that has tended to fly under the radar, but which has the potential to add enormous value and help tourism become a $41 billion industry by 2025.

The activating domestic tourism research and online tool will be released at TIA’s 2016 Tourism Summit Aotearoa in Wellington on 9 November.

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