Cath O'Brien: Board of Airline Representatives Executive Director on tourism

A growing range of international visitor markets means New Zealand's on track to beat pre-Covid tourism numbers. 

Overseas arrivals reached 92% of pre-pandemic numbers in August.

That's up from 87% in July.

Board of Airline Representatives Executive Director Cath O'Brien told Ryan Bridge increased airline capacity from the Americas, Singapore, Hong Kong markets means we're seeing more than just Aussies. 

She hopes this is meaningful for tourism businesses who have waited a long time to see this recovery. 

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Right now. The Aussies are helping push us towards our
first pre COVID tourism summer stats in ZED numbers two
hundred and thirty thousand tourists for August. That's an increase
of sixteen thousand on last year. August was ninety two
percent of pre COVID. Kathabrian is Barnes, chief executive director
with US This morning CAF, Good morning.

Speaker 2 (00:18):
Good morning Ryan.

Speaker 1 (00:19):
So how confident are you we will hit pre COVID
this summer?

Speaker 2 (00:24):
Well, look, I think we might get close. And it's
been a long time since I've been talking about some
good news, so I'm really pleased to see this, these
August numbers, and I think it's really promising for summer.

Speaker 1 (00:36):
Okay, that's good. Are we a little obsessed with the
pre COVID thing. Shouldn't we be ahead of it already?
You know?

Speaker 2 (00:42):
Yeah, I mean for sure we were later to open.
And I think, you know, it really as a product
of this country being a really long way away from
the rest of the world, and so our connections have
taken longer to restore. But I think, you know, looking
ahead to this summer. Over the summer season, airlines are
expecting to see eight point two percent increased capacity against

(01:03):
last summer, so you know, really quite a lot more
seats in the sky, and so the opportunity is there
to hit our pre COVID numbers.

Speaker 1 (01:10):
Where is the capacity coming from?

Speaker 2 (01:13):
Yeah, it's a range. I mean, you know, we've heard
a lot about the Tasman capacity added by Corners Group,
and that's fantastic with the Jetstile services and the new
services toned into Hamilton. But I would also say there's
a range of other sort of additional growth that's come
into New Zealand, and that comes from a range of destinations.
So the America's you know, Singapore, Hong Kong, you know,

(01:37):
all those markets have grown in terms of airline capacity.

Speaker 1 (01:41):
Which is good, which is what we need because if
we rely just on the Aussies or the Aussies to
do the heavy lifting, they don't stay as long and
spend as much here, right, Yeah.

Speaker 2 (01:49):
I mean the Tasman travel always has been a substantial
part of the New Zealand market, so it's really important.
And I think you know, we would welcome any visitor,
would we not. So I think it's great to see
those of these coming. But it's also great to see
the internationals coming over summer and I really hope this
is meaningful for tourism businesses across New Zealand who have
been waiting a long time to see this recovery.

Speaker 1 (02:11):
Very long time indeed, and as you say, nice to
have some even a glimmer of some good news on
the tourism front. Kah, thank you, it really is. Thank you,
Ryan Keath, Ryan Barnes, Executive Director. For more from Early
Edition with Ryan Bridge, listen live to news talks it'd
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