We know what they like - us

By SIMON HENDERY tourism writer

Even before Jill and Ted from Oakland stepped off United Airlines flight 841 at Auckland Airport early today, we knew a lot about what their holiday here would entail.

They are probably first-time visitors to this country 72 per cent of American arrivals are travelling here for the first time.

Jill and Ted's excellent New Zealand adventure is likely to cost them $4415 each, excluding travel and accommodation, which they paid for before they left home.

We know it will be an excellent adventure because 95 per cent of departing overseas visitors say they would recommend New Zealand as a holiday destination to others.

If they leave the country disappointed, it is likely to be because they struck bad weather.

There is a 74 per cent chance that Jill and Ted will make their own way around the country rather than travel as part of a tour party or pre-paid package trip.

As "independent" US travellers, museums, galleries, beaches, geothermal attractions and sightseeing tours hold the most interest for our hypothetical couple.

Maori cultural performances and tramping tracks are further down their priority list.

Screeds of data on the spending patterns, travel and accommodation preferences, and preferred activities of tourists is available on Tourism New Zealand's website.

The backbone of this research is the ongoing International Visitor Survey. On selected days each month, one in every 18 short-term adult visitors departing New Zealand is quizzed about his or her stay, including how much was spent during their visit.

Questions on trip satisfaction were added to the survey this year. Apart from revealing that 95 per cent of those surveyed would recommend the country to others, Tourism New Zealand has yet to release the full findings of the survey to date.

It does say, however, that preliminary results are "overwhelmingly positive".

The friendliness of New Zealanders rated highly, both as a motivation to visit the country and an observation during the trip.

The variety of activities, beautiful scenery and our clean and unspoiled landscape were also important factors in the decision to choose this country as a destination, says Tourism New Zealand's bi-monthly industry publication, Tourism News.

"Other motivators to visit, to a lesser degree, were New Zealand as a safe destination, taking advantage of the opposite summer season and trying extreme sports," Tourism News says.

To delve further into the tourist psyche, Tourism New Zealand has commissioned ACNielsen to carry out a two-part product marketing research project.

The aim is to identify "product opportunities" by highlighting areas where tourism operators could enhance their existing products or develop new products to meet target market demand.

In the first phase of the research, which has just been completed, ACNielsen surveyed travel operators around the world who sell New Zealand as a destination.

It found that those surveyed believed New Zealand delivered well in terms of offering a good variety of high-quality "activity" products.

But there were gaps in "core" product, such as three-star to five-star hotels and lodges in certain areas, transport, shopping and quality Asian food.

While there were no "product gaps" identified, the international operators said that as tourists adopted more of a "go slow and savour" attitude to travel spending more time in one area and covering less ground there was a need to supply the industry with more information on a wider spread of regional product offerings.

The research also found that tourists were becoming more active, hunting out authentic cultural and natural experiences in which to take part.

Tourism News says tourism operators hold the key to visitor satisfaction levels.

"Local knowledge and friendliness of operators and guides, and the ability to judge the level of assistance and information required, are some of the most desirable ways of creating a positive experience of New Zealand.

"Visitors appreciated it if their host took the time to assess the knowledge and interest level of the travellers and put their welfare and safety first.

"If they provided too much information the travellers became bored and it detracted from the experience."

Tourism New Zealand

Pure NZ