Sustainability is now a key focus of New Zealand’s tourism industry, as indicated in Tourism 2025 & Beyond – a Sustainable Growth Framework, released yesterday at Trenz 2019, which is currently taking place in Rotorua.
This announcement is an update of the Tourism 2025 Growth Framework, first released in 2014.
Chris Roberts, chief executive of Tourism Industry Aotearoa (TIA), a membership association representing all sectors of New Zealand tourism sector, said: ”The Sustainable Growth Framework keeps our focus on the industry firmly on growing our value to individuals, communities, the economy and our visitors.
“The key change is that sustainability is now at the centre of Tourism 2025, providing a clear pathway towards a sustainable tourism industry for New Zealand. We have added visitor, community and environmental goals, and pushed our economical ambition up to NZ$50 billion (US$32.9 billion) a year in annual tourism revenue by 2025,” he shared.
This represents a marked increase from the original annual tourism revenue goal of NZ$41 billion by the same year. In 2018, progress towards the goal has exceeded expectations, with tourism contributing NZ$39.1 billion to the country.
With the tourism industry increasingly recognising and adopting the Maori values of guardianship, hospitality and work-togetherness, Roberts added that these foundations have been incorporated in the new directive.
More than 1,000 tourism businesses have now signed up for the newly released New Zealand Tourism Sustainability Commitments, he revealed.
In November 2018, Tourism Industry Aotearoa and six other New Zealand organisations also launched Tiaki, Care for New Zealand, an initiative that actively encourages international and domestic travellers to act as guardians of New Zealand.
Roberts, who organises Trenz on behalf of the Tourism Industry New Zealand Trust, said that there are signs of New Zealand’s continuing popularity as a destination, evident from the 386 buyers from 30 markets – an increase over last year – attending the annual tradeshow in Rotarua’s Energy Events Centre this year.
International buyers hail from Australia, China, the US, the UK, Germany, Japan, Brazil and Indonesia, with over 15,000 meetings expected to be held until May 16.
