Strong majority of New Zealanders see strong benefits of international tourism for the country

26 April, 2018

Tourism Industry Aotearoa and Tourism New Zealand released (27-Apr-2018) their Mood of the Nation research report for Mar-2018. The public opinion survey, undertaken by Kantar TNS, found the the majority of New Zealanders remain positive about the impact of tourism and overall sentiment has slightly improved, following a record summer for international visitor arrivals. Key points include:

  • 96% of New Zealanders surveyed strongly agreed or agreed that international tourism is good for New Zealand;
  • 22% of respondents feel there are too many international visitors, down one percentage point compared to the Nov-2017 survey. Most of those surveyed believe New Zealand is attracting the right number of visitors or should be attracting more;
  • 39% of respondents were concerned that tourism growth is putting pressure on New Zealand, down one percentage point. Pressure on infrastructure is the top concern New Zealanders have with international tourism; other concerns include accommodation shortages, environmental damage, freedom camping, traffic congestion and road safety;
  • 91% were proud New Zealand is seen as an attractive visitor destination. 88% of New Zealanders take pride in making visitors feel welcome in New Zealand;
  • Respondents identified economic and employment opportunities as key benefits of international tourism. This included economic growth for the regions (60%), growth opportunities for businesses (59%) and employment opportunities for residents (52%). [more - original PR]