Northland Tourism Update - November 2016

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Tena hoki ra koutou nga kai whakahaere o nga pakihi tapoi, koutou e hoatu te manaakitanga ki nga manuhiri o tatou. Tena koutou.

Well deserved win for Waipoua!
Congratulations to Ian and Fran Farrant for winning the Supreme Award at the Hospitality New Zealand Awards for Excellence in October. This is a huge achievement, and one which is thoroughly deserved. Waipoua Lodge is located on State Highway 12, Waipoua Forest, Visit W aipoua Lodge

Northland Inc has moved into new premises, and are now co-located with NZ Chambers of Commerce Northland in a new collaborative workspace, 'The Orchard Business and Event Hub', see article later. Come visit us anytime.

Until next time,
Paul, Karly and Sarah
Northland Inc - Regional Promotions & Tourism

Commercial Accommodation Monitor (CAM)

CAM results show the picture of ongoing growth in guest nights, off the back of both strong international visitor activity and healthy domestic travel levels. Across Northland as a whole annual growth rates are lower than national rates, reflecting our mix of visitors and their travel patterns within Northland. Whangarei has returned to monthly growth after over of year of decline, while Far North and Kaipara continue to record strong growth.

Download the Northland Commercial Accommodation Monitor - September 2016.

International Visitor Arrivals

Oct 2015 - Sep 2016

Monthly visitor spend data for regions - August 2016

Regional Tourism Estimates for Northland

Detailed data is contained at this link. Please phone Paul (09 438 3651) if you need any help with interpretation.

Flight Centre consultants on tour in Northland

Northland hosted the NZ All Stars Flight Centre famil in October, which consisted of three days in our region visiting all three coasts. View their trip on Instagram here.

CTS - Xi Yang Yang NZ Travel Show

Northland Inc and the Waitangi Treaty Grounds shared a booth at the Xi Yang Yang NZ Travel Show last weekend at the ASB Showgrounds.

As part of our China programme we are not just targeting Chinese visitors based in China, but also Auckland-based Chinese. This test showed Auckland Chinese already know Northland reasonably well and are already travelling here, developing longer itineraries and regular repeat visits will be part of future plans.

Northland Inc is on WeChat, and soon to be Weibo. We will share details in the next update,

Discover New Zealand booklet

This 64-page booklet features practical information on what to do and see all over New Zealand, as well as lots of insider tips for off-the-beaten track experiences around the regions.

It's designed for all types of traveller - with top tips for families, backpackers and those interested in hiking, cycling, skiing and golf. You'll also find suggestions for Māori cultural experiences, food and wine, and wildlife watching holidays.

Download Discover New Zealand

Weta Workshop connection

Peter Jackson and Fran Walsh have been on Lisette and Eion's Night Walk! 'Their enthusiasm and interest were well-rewarded with a Kiwi sighting, a close encounter with a Weka, lots of Weta & a stunning glowworm display. They described their visit as "magical" and "enchanting" - things they know something about!' Follow Russell Nature Walks on Facebook,

Waitangi Treaty Grounds Lands contract with MoE

A new three-year contract with the Ministry of Education will deliver Learning Experiences Outside the Classroom to all levels of New Zealand school students. The contract will see more than 12,000 students visit the Treaty Grounds on organised class visits. Read more.

Northland Holiday Park takes guests for a ride

Chris and Jane McComb, owners of the 2ha Kauri Coast TOP 10 Holiday Park have opened what they believe to be New Zealand's first equestrian centre at a holiday park. Their new centre caters for riding holidays where people can bring their own horses or take riding lessons. Read more.

The Orchard Business and Event Hub is a place where start-up businesses, entrepreneurs, contractors and professionals can rent space and services on a casual or regular basis.

What does it mean for tourism businesses located outside of Whangarei?
If you need a base in Whangarei at any stage, there are hot-desks, collaborative tables and break-out zones available, plus:

Meeting rooms
Ultra-fast Wi-Fi
Pre-pay printing and copying
Free unlimited tea and coffee

Contact The Orchard:
Level One, Corner of Cameron and Walton Streets, Whangarei (Entry off Walton)

Phone: 027 203 4419 Email: hello@theorchard.co.nz Website: www.theorchard.co.nz

*Please note, Northland Inc are now located within The Orchard Business and Event Hub

Northland Region records 1.839m guest nights per year, and by total guest nights ranks 6th in New Zealand (Auckland, Canterbury, Queenstown, Wellington and Rotorua are the only regions which record more nights). Current annual growth rate is 5.0%
The ratio of international to domestic guest nights peaks in February each year at 49:51, and is lowest in June at 36:64.
Tourism contributes $942m to the Northland economy and 3.7% of GDP. Domestic visitors spend $689m (73%) and international visitors spend $253m (27%). Spend in Far North is $429m, in Whangarei $428m and in Kaipara $87m. Northland Region ranks 6^th in New Zealand in total annual visitor spend. (Note these figures have changed from August as a result of recent changes to MBIE data gathering methodology).
5,084 FTE jobs are sourced to Tourism activity in Northland, 7.7% of the region’s workforce, ahead of the national workforce average of 7.3%.
(Data updated November 2016. Sources: Statistics New Zealand Commercial Accommodation Monitor, MBIE Monthly Regional Tourism Estimates, Infometrics Northland Regional Economic profile)