The Rise Of Tourism In New Zealand

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New Zealand has a diverse landscape that includes active volcanoes, snowy mountains, native forests, geothermal areas, glaciers, and beaches, all providing visitors with an abundance of destinations to explore. Globalization has made traveling abroad easier than ever before, and for this reason, tourism is growing globally and becoming very competitive. In New Zealand, tourism has surpassed meat, wool, forestry, and manufacturing as a source of foreign income and has become a NZ$23.9 billion industry, second only to dairy exports (Ministry of Business, 2013). Since New Zealand is far from the markets they serve and is dependent on a small range of farm exports, it is often difficult for the country to control the circumstances of their economy (OECD, 2008). Therefore, New Zealand’s economy did not escape the global financial crisis of 2008-09; but their promotion of tourism has been an integral part of their economic development and recovery since the recession (Ministry, 2013).
There are many challenges that face the tourism industry in New Zealand, including recent earthquakes in Churchcrist (Ministry, 2013). It is also difficult for tourist driven businesses to be properly staffed and trained because of the seasonal fluctuations in business (Ministry, 2013). Furthermore, New Zealand faces competition from neighboring Australia and from Japan as tourist destinations (Ministry, 2013). Nevertheless, many factors play a part in the rise of visitors, including NZ$8 million spent by the government for improved marketing through the Tourism Growth Partnership (Ministry, 2013). In addition, new direct flights by China Southern Airlines and dramatically reduced international airfares over the last two decades aid in New Zealand’s econ...

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...tiful, diverse land their economy will continue to recover and pick up pace. According to the OECD Economic Survey completed in June 2013 the country as a whole is experiencing growing business investment and household spending (OECD, 2013). This is even in light of the negative factors affecting the country, such as the current weak foreign demand of their commodities and a severe drought that plagued part of the region (Ministry, 2013). The Maori are also becoming more involved in the tourism industry, allowing for greater economic development for them and the overall economy of the country. The Lord of the Rings franchise was not the only movies to be filmed in the country and is likely to be the last. As government sees the benefit from film-induced tourism, it is likely they will attract others and reap the rewards, strengthening New Zealand’s economy further.

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