Friday 17th February 2012 1 Comment |
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New Zealanders are being urged to spend more on travel within the country as Europe’s sovereign debt crisis saps demand from overseas travelers, according to the Motel Association.
“We would like to see a concentrated effort from the government and the tourism sector to encourage kiwis to holiday at home, enjoy what our fantastic country has to offer, and help lift the economy,” said Michael Baines, chief executive at MANZ. “If the global uncertainty triggers another world-wide recession, we will need to ensure that we keep every dollar we can in New Zealand to help us through.”
The Treasury, yesterday revised down its expected forecast for economic growth in its Budget Policy Statement, predicting gross domestic product will expand 1.9 percent in the year ending March 31 and 2.8 percent in 2013, down from 2.3 percent and 3.8 percent flagged in the pre-election economic and fiscal update.
Growth in the following 2014 year is forecast to expand at a pace of 3.8 percent compared to a previous 3.3 percent.
The downgrade of the governments forecasts, caused largely by turmoil in Europe, means more kiwis should be encouraged to spend their tourism dollar at home, Baines said.
Kiwis currently account for about 70 percent of guest nights in motels, MANZ says. International visitors spent 1.3 million guest nights in New Zealand in 2011, down 2.3 percent from a year earlier, according to Statistics New Zealand.
The total number of guest nights fell 0.7 percent in December from a year earlier, partly reflecting a drop in Canterbury due to the region’s earthquakes.
(BusinessDesk)
BusinessDesk.co.nz
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