Glyn Lewers: Queenstown Mayor on international visitor spending up

Although visitor spending is on the rise, some parts of New Zealand are still doing it tough.

A Government survey's found international visitor spending increased by 10% and contributed more than $12 billion to the economy in the year ending March.

That's 9.2% up on the previous year.

It reflects an increase in international visitors, topping 3.3 million arrivals, up from almost 3.2 million.

Queenstown Mayor Glyn Lewers told Ryan Bridge it's good news, but also highlights the uneven nature of the spend across New Zealand. 

He says there should be more effort to collaborate and spread the love between different regions.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Let's get to the numbers on tourism, shall we. The
government patting itself on the back yesterday praising itself over
the international visitors spending, saying it's on the rise, new
data showing it increased by almost ten percent on last year,
contributing twelve point twelve billion dollars to the economy. And
yes it is coming back, but boy is it's slow.

(00:20):
In real terms, we're still only at eighty six percent
of pre COVID spending and we've been stuck there since
at least March, according to numbers from the Minister's office.
Glyn Lewis is the Queenstown mayor. He's with me this morning. Glenn,
good morning, Good morning, Rian, Good to have you on
the show. What are you seeing are you seeing obviously

(00:40):
not back to pre well, well what are you seeing
in Queenstown?

Speaker 2 (00:43):
So yeah, the numbers are good news. It's good to
see them coming up. But when we look at the
Queenstown context, when we're above pre COVID levels and visitation
and we had spend it around about eleven percent above
a year on year, it just tells me some parts
of New Zealand are doing it tough. When it comes

(01:04):
to tourism spend, So that's interesting.

Speaker 1 (01:07):
So Queenstown is eleven percent on spend above pre above
pre COVID, and are on numbers.

Speaker 2 (01:14):
Eleven percent above from last year to April April April,
and where I think we're I think about seventeen percent
above pre COVID. If you even look at our airport,
our trains, Tasman routes one hundred and forty percent above
pre COVID, we're about to hit We're just under a
million international visitors through our airport this year alone, and

(01:38):
I think pre COVID we're about six hundred thousand.

Speaker 1 (01:41):
Well, so what's your what's your biggest problem tourism wise?

Speaker 2 (01:45):
It's it's not a problem. It's going to get even
busier during the winter months. I think it just highlights
the the uneven nature of the spend across New Zealand,
and I think from my own personal point of view,
I think there's a little bit more effort to try
and collaborate more between different regions and see if we
spread the love, let's say, into the regions, because.

Speaker 1 (02:09):
You've basically got people flying in to see you and
flying out.

Speaker 2 (02:13):
Yeah, and that usually happens especially in the winter when
the ski season starts, that white gold comes falling down.
So yeah, and look, there's some I believe there's a
huge opportunity to get those international visitors out into the
regions more. But yeah, I think that's probably a bit
more of a work on Glen.

Speaker 1 (02:31):
Appreciate your perspective this morning. Thanks so much for being
with us. That's Glenn Lewis. He's the Queenstown mayor on
those new international tourist spend numbers out yesterday.

Speaker 2 (02:41):
For more from earlier edition with Ryan Bridge, listen live
to News Talks it be from five am weekdays, or
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