Summer is just around the corner, which is exciting news for Kiwis and the large number of international tourists planning to visit New Zealand during the warmer weather.
Our tourism industry is in great shape. More people are coming, staying longer and are spending more.
In August, we celebrated our three millionth visitor to New Zealand in the past year. Those three million visitors spent $8.7 billion—up 28 per cent on the previous 12 months.
Tourism now represents 17.4 per cent of our total exports and is second only to dairy.
And the good news is, visitor arrivals are expected to grow four per cent a year, reaching 3.75 million visitors in 2021.
Tourism creates job for New Zealanders in all parts of the country.
There are 168,000 New Zealanders directly employed in tourism and another 128,000 indirectly employed.
Hobbiton in Matamata is a great example. They have hired 92 new staff in the past three months and now employ more than 200 people.
Accommodation providers are also benefitting with guest nights for the year ended September 2015 up in almost every region around the country.
Tourism destinations that have performed particularly well compared with the previous year include: the Mackenzie District (up 12 per cent), Wanaka (up 11 per cent), West Coast (up 10 per cent), Rotorua (up eight per cent), Queenstown (up seven per cent) and Canterbury (up six per cent).
The National-led government is backing the tourism industry. We have invested an unprecedented $600 million to help support overseas promotion and marketing work in both emerging and established markets.
We have introduced the Tourism Growth Partnership, which aims to boost innovation and productivity in the tourism sector, and have invested more than $10 million in 20 projects that will attract international visitors.
We are on track to reach the ambitious target of generating $41 billion in tourism revenue in 2025.
More transport links will help us reach these numbers.
Qantas and American Airlines have recently announced new services between Auckland and Los Angeles, while Air New Zealand has announced it will fly directly to Ho Chi Minh City.
Visitor numbers from the United States and Australia are growing, and there has been a 35 per cent increase in visitors from China.
Tourism is going from strength to strength. As it grows, it is creating more jobs throughout the country. I wish our local tourism operators all the best over the busy summer period.