Louise Upston: Tourism Minister on tourism numbers returning to 88% of pre-Covid numbers

Our tourism levels are continuing to rise, reaching 88% of pre-Covid numbers. 

Australian visitors continue to dominate the market, with 1.48 million arrivals in the September quarter – up 12% on last year. 

The US was the next biggest at 381,000 —up 21,000— while visitors from China remained flat at 246,000. 

In New Zealand, Queenstown and Christchurch remain the tourist hotspots. 

Tourism Minister Louise Upston told Mike Hosking the numbers show the work they’re putting in are delivering some results, but there’s still work to do to attract even more international visitors.  

She says they just have to make sure New Zealand is top of mind for countries that normally choose us – Australia, the US, and Canada all being a big focus. 

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
New tourism datais I'm sure you well aware is out
green shirts? Do we see green shirts?

Speaker 2 (00:03):
Well?

Speaker 1 (00:04):
Kind of. We're only at eighty eight percent of where
we once were. But the Australians love is one point
four eight million arrivals, which is up twelve percent, the
US up at three hundred and eighty one thousand, Chinas
a bit flat, Q Town and christ Duty. You go
to still Louise upstance Tourism Minister and is with us morning.

Speaker 2 (00:19):
Good morning Mike.

Speaker 1 (00:20):
What's your level of satisfaction as you sit and talk
to us this Friday morning.

Speaker 2 (00:25):
Oh, I'm really comfortable with where the numbers are at.
It's showing that the work that we're putting in is
delivering some results. But we've still got more work to
go to attract even more international visitors over the ditch.

Speaker 1 (00:36):
The Australian thing. Is that about the dollar or the
campaigns or both?

Speaker 2 (00:41):
Oh, it's both. We've also seen an increase in trans
Tasman flights, but Everyone Must Go campaign has definitely delivered
an extra push. So that's not going to be one
individual thing that gets us results. We've got to have
a solid plan and just keep rolling out ideas to
attract them over and to just make sure that New

(01:01):
Zealand is top of mind for the countries that normally
choose US. So Australia the US China is a big
focus at the moment.

Speaker 1 (01:10):
I was going to say, how hard are we working
on China? And is that a lost cause? From all
I'm reading, they seem yes, they're traveling a lot now domestically,
but they are going off the border into other parts
of Asia. Are we wasting our time there?

Speaker 2 (01:24):
No, China's going to continue to be a really important
market for US. I took the first ever tourism trade
delegation up to China in September, so some of that
will pay off next year. But we do need to
keep focusing on the markets that have traditionally come here
as well as emerging markets like in there. But I
think we're in a really positive space. We've got more

(01:46):
work to do and that's why there will be more
announcements to come, and of course the Michelin Guide last
week will attract a different type of visitor. Again, as
I said, it's a combination of initiatives that we will
make to drive so that the piece.

Speaker 1 (02:01):
In the Sydney Morning here all about they were they
should be rapable. It was a piece saying basically the
Australians missed the opportunity. They could have paid the bill.
They didn't want to do it. We did and we
sucked in good.

Speaker 2 (02:11):
Oh absolutely, and look anything that anything that makes New
Zealand stand out. So firstly to attack attract Australian foodies
to come over here is great. But also if people
are trying to decide between Australia and New Zealand, this
is one thing that'll put New Zealand above Australia, which
is great. And I had it maybe tongue in cheek

(02:31):
suggested to me earlier this morning that actually it might
reverse the brain drain from the hospitality sector to get
Australian chefs over to New Zealand.

Speaker 1 (02:40):
Nic stuff, have a good weekend. Two Louis Upston tour
as a minister. Eighty seven cents though, I mean, if
you're sitting there with your eighty seven Australian cents, you
get a New Zealand dollar. It's not bad. For more
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