Aussies best bet for tourism

IAIN MCGREGOR/Waikato Times

SPORTY ATTRACTION: Australians flocked to New Zealand's winter sport playgrounds this winter.

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Tourist numbers are bouncing back after the global economic slowdown and swine flu fears earlier this year, with a flood of Australian tourists buoying the market.

Economists said with the global economy in recovery there may be a pick-up in international tourists during summer, possibly offsetting lower arrivals from Australia after the end of the ski season.

But New Zealand's high exchange rate may weigh against some long-haul tourist markets next year, economists said.

Total visitors to New Zealand in September from all countries rose 9 percent on the same month last year.

The rise of 14,700 in the month was the biggest gain for more than three years.

Australians have flocked to New Zealand because of a low dollar, at about A80c, a bumper Kiwi ski season and to spend some of their government's A$950 economic stimulus handout from earlier in the year.

There have also been more direct flights from Australia to ski resort Queenstown this year.

Positively Wellington Tourism chief executive David Perks said hotel occupancy in Wellington was up almost 2 per cent in September compared with a year ago, and weekend occupancy was up more than 5 per cent, reflecting the World of Wearable Arts show and a Bledisloe Cup rugby match between New Zealand and Australia.

Tourism operators believe the market has steadied in Wellington, a year after the start of the global financial crisis. The Australian travel trade is more positive after being "miserable" earlier in the year, Mr Perks said.

Unexpectedly, Wellington hotels were fully booked for the All Whites football match against Bahrain on November 14.

"That is going to be another boost that we were not anticipating," Mr Perks said. "A lot of tickets must have been sold out of town."

It would also give Wellington exposure to the Middle East market.

Tourism New Zealand chief executive George Hickton said the national tourist figures signalled a recovery from the effects of the economic downturn and swine flu, which hit arrivals from Asia hard earlier this year.

"Our top five markets are all showing significant improvement on last month, which is great news for the industry heading into the crucial summer season," he said.

"The US and China are recovering, Japan and the UK appear to have stabilised and Australia is still showing strong growth.

"Australia continues to be the foundation for our recovery," Mr Hickton added.

Arrivals from the US in the past three months were up 3 per cent on the same period last year.

The high kiwi at US75c this week, up from US50c in March, would eventually see tourists spending less when they got to New Zealand. It could turn people off travelling if package tour prices rise.

The recent rise in US tourists reflected some cheap airfares, some half the price of fares a year ago, Mr Hickton said.

The United States is the third-largest tourism market for New Zealand, so remained "very important" as a group of big spenders who travelled more widely than other tourists, Mr Hickton said.

Statistics NZ said that over the past four months, the increases from Australian tourists were largely offset by falls from China, Japan, and Korea.

But in September visitor arrivals from China were up 800 (15 percent), and visitors from Japan were down just 200 (4 per cent).

The slight fall in Japanese tourists was seen as a huge improvement from June, when Japanese numbers were down a massive 67 percent on June last year.

INCOMING

172,400 short-term visitors to New Zealand in September. Up 9 percent from last year and a record for September. Tourists from Australia up 15 per cent or 12,600. Visitors from United States up 10 percent or 900. Year to September total: 2.43 million visitors, down 43,900 or 2 percent from a year earlier.

- © Fairfax NZ News