Adventure Playground

Tourism comprises an important sector of the New Zealand economy, directly contributing NZ$12.9 billion of the country's GDP in 2016, as well as supporting 188,000 full-time-equivalent jobs . The flow-on effects of tourism indirectly contribute a further 4.3% of GDP . Despite the country's geographical isolation, spending by international tourists accounted for 17.1% of New Zealand's export earnings . International and domestic tourism contributes, in total, NZ$34 billion to New Zealand's economy every year.New Zealand markets itself abroad as a clean, green adventure-playground with typical tourist destinations being nature areas such as Milford Sound, Abel Tasman National Park and the Tongariro Alpine Crossing; while activities such as bungee jumping or whale watching exemplify typical tourist attractions, often marketed primarily to individual and small-group travellers. By far the highest number of New Zealand's tourists come from Australia due to close proximity and relations. The vast majority of international tourist arrivals to New Zealand come through Auckland Airport, which handled nearly fifteen million passengers in 2013. Two percent of visitors arrived by sea as of 2009. Many international tourists spend time in Auckland, Christchurch, Queenstown, Rotorua, and Wellington. Other high-profile destinations include the Bay of Islands, the Waitomo Caves, Aoraki / Mount Cook, and Milford Sound. Many tourists travel considerable distances through the country during their stays, typically using coach lines or hired cars. Though some destinations have seasonal specialities , New Zealand's southern-hemisphere location offers attractions for off-peak northern-hemisphere tourists chasing or avoiding certain seasons. Domestic tourism is also important, though expenditure and trip numbers have declined or stagnated in the face of fast-growing international tourism. Domestic tourist spending of NZ$20.2 billion a year still exceeds that of international visitors . In June 2018 the New Zealand government announced the imposition of a tourist tax of around NZ$25 to NZ$35 for international visitors, excluding Australians, many Pacific islanders, and young children. It plans to implement this taxation in 2019 through a newly-proposed electronic travel-registration process.In November 2012 readers of the UK newspaper The Telegraph voted New Zealand the best country in the world to go to on holiday. The national airline, Air New Zealand, was voted the third-best long-haul carrier.
Continue reading...
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.