8 December 2004

Tourism research moving forward in leaps and bounds

Tourism research has come a long way over the past five years, and Tourism Minister Mark Burton says even more progress is on the horizon.

Speaking at the sixth New Zealand Tourism and Hospitality Research Conference, Mark Burton said that quality information is essential for making effective decisions about the sector’s long-term future.

“High quality products, services, and infrastructure are key to building a truly sustainable tourism industry for New Zealand. This level of quality must also extend to the research available to both the industry and our visitors. Tremendous progress has been made since 1999.

“In 2000, we set up the Tourism Research Council New Zealand (TRCNZ) to provide strategy leadership on tourism research matters. The Ministry of Tourism continues to work with TRCNZ, managing the core tourism data set, undertaking research and analysis, and supporting the TRCNZ website (www.trcnz.govt.nz), a one-stop-shop for tourism research data.

“Our forecasting programme continues to uphold its reputation for accuracy. This programme is now being used as a planning tool industry-wide. My Ministry is currently using the forecasts to inform tourism’s future infrastructure requirements. The Ministry is also currently working in partnership with the Tourism Industry Association New Zealand on a project to increase our tourism yield.

“Another exciting initiative is our five new $15,000 Masters-level research scholarships, established to foster research on real industry issues. The Ministry of Tourism is currently assessing applications, and we hope to announce recipients prior to Christmas.”

Mark Burton released two new reports at the conference, focused on building Maori engagement in tourism. Measurement of Maori in Tourism establishes a baseline measurement of Maori sector participation. Demand for Maori Cultural Tourism measures demand for Maori tourism and outlines areas of focus for the future. Both are available through the TRCNZ website.

Mark Burton says that improving the research base is ongoing.

“The Ministry and TRCNZ are currently gathering sector feedback to define our research priorities. The Research Council will also examine the structures and resources needed for appropriate industry research. Together, government and industry will continue to build our information base as we work towards a truly sustainable tourism sector—one that will deliver benefits to New Zealand over the long-term.”

ENDS

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