The strategy is assumed.
After more than two years of the Covid-19 pandemic, New Zealand fully reopened its borders to foreign travelers on August 1.
The government now wants to bring tourists back to the country, but not just anyone.
On Wednesday, New Zealand Tourism Minister Stuart Nash assumed that he favors “
big spenders
”.
“
In terms of targeting our marketing strategy, it will be unabashedly towards these high quality tourists
,” he said while presenting a government plan to boost the tourism sector, crucial for the economy. New Zealand - it represented around 9% of its GDP before the health crisis.
"
We're going to be welcoming backpackers...[but] we're not going to target people who put on Facebook how they can travel across our country on $10 a day eating instant noodles
," he added. .
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In 2020, Stuart Nash had already taken on this strategy, saying his country would “
shamelessly
” target affluent travelers and seek to attract tourists who “
fly business class or premium economy class, rent a helicopter, take a ride around [ glacier] Franz Josef and then eat in a high-end restaurant
”.
Interviewed by the British daily
The Guardian
, James Higham, professor of tourism at the New Zealand University of Otago, questions the government's strategy.
According to him, the idea that “
high net worth individuals
” spend more on trips than budget tourists is not supported by research.
"
There is no evidence of this
," he said, pointing instead to their greater impact on the environment.
