8 May 2009

Source: stuff.co.nz

Fewer tourists visited New Zealand in the year to March, but total tourist spending held firm according to statistics from the Ministry of Tourism.

Tourists spent $6.1 billion, down just 0.1 percent compared with the same period last year.  This is despite there being 96,000 fewer tourists, or 3.9 percent fewer than last year.

Tourism ministry research manager Bruce Bassett said the results were positive in the face of challenging times.

He credited the bigger spend by tourists to a more favourable exchange rate.

Spending from visitors from the three biggest markets was down, with Australian spending $1.6 billion, 4.1 percent less than last year.  Visiting Britons spent $916 million, down 3.8 percent while those from the US spent $612 million, down 2.2 percent.

However, visitors from China and Japan spent significantly more than in the past, up 11.6 percent and 12.3 percent respectively.  Spending from both countries totalled $779 million.

Bassett said while it was unclear how international visitor demand would continue over the short term, the sector was demonstrating resilience and a real ability to adapt to the challenging conditions.

15 August, 2008 

Karori Sanctuary, one of New Zealand’s leading conservation tourism attractions, has won a prestigious conservation tourism award

The Sanctuary won the prestigious DOC Conservation in Action Award at the recent New Zealand Tourism Industry Awards.

Karori Sanctuary by CEO Nancy McIntosh-Ward is delighted with the win.

“This award recognises our contribution to New Zealand’s growing sustainable tourism industry and our achievements in managing the Sanctuary as both a visitor attraction and an internationally-respected ecological restoration project”

Located just 10 minutes drive from downtown Wellington, Karori Sanctuary gives a unique opportunity to engage with endangered native birds and other wildlife. A new Visitor and Education Centre is currently under construction, and due to open in the summer of 2009/10.

The new state-of-the-art Centre will be New Zealand’s first facility dedicated exclusively to our country’s unique natural history and conservation story.

Research indicates that in the first three years of the Centre’s operation, visitors to the Karori Sanctuary will increase almost three-fold from 70,000 to nearly 200,000.

“The Centre’s potential impact on Wellington’s international visitor market is significant. If 30,000 international visitors spent another night here because of the Karori Sanctuary, that would mean another $4.5 million per year being spent in Wellington.”

Positively Wellington Tourism has worked closely with Karori Sanctuary on the designs and plans for the Visitor and Education Centre. A key focus has been how the Centre will deliver a world-class visitor experience, through its design elements and layout.

“We have been excited by what we’ve seen, throughout the planning process,” says Tim. “The Centre will offer a unique visitor experience with its combination of nature, story-telling and interactive technology. I’m confident the Wellington tourism industry and public will be as excited about this Centre as we are.”