Tourism in New Zealand

New Zealand landscapes: Snow-capped mountains near Milford Sound.

New Zealand receives two million tourists per year, and is the country's biggest 'export' earner.^[1] New Zealand is marketed as a "clean, green" adventure playground, with typical destinations being nature areas such as Milford Sound and the Tongariro Crossing, while activities like bungee jumping or whale watching exemplify typical tourist attractions.

New Zealand landscapes: A beach at sunset near Greymouth, New Zealand.

The vast majority of tourist arrivals in New Zealand come through Auckland International Airport which handled over eleven million passengers in 2004. Popular destinations include Rotorua, Waitomo Caves, Milford Sound, and Queenstown. Many tourists travel large distances through the country during their stays, typically using coach lines or hire cars.

New Zealand landscapes: Hills above the Whanganui River.

International travel

Public concern over the environmental impacts of air travel is feared to possibly limit tourism growth in New Zealand, as almost all tourists fly long distances to reach New Zealand. However, Ministry of Tourism data predicts a four percent annual growth in tourist numbers in New Zealand, with 3.2 million tourists annually to be reached in 2014.^[2]

Tourism New Zealand, the country's official tourism agency, is actively promoting the country as a destination worldwide. Recent activities include a NZ$ 7 million campaign in China, concentrating on Shanghai,^[3] and cooperating to produce a New Zealand tourism layer for Google Earth, the first country to receive such a treatment.^[4]

Domestic travel

Periodic campaigns are directed at New Zealanders, urging them to travel within New Zealand instead of overseas, due to a perception by the tourism industry that too many Kiwis are travelling to Australia or other countries instead of domestically. ^[5]. Perhaps the best known slogan is "Don't leave town until you've seen the country".

Domestic tourism was worth NZ$ 7.6 billion (including transport costs) in the year ending March 2007, a growth of 9.1 per cent on the year before. Domestic tourism itself was growing by 1 to 1.5 per cent a year in the recent years, as noted by the Ministry of Tourism.