Tourism & Visitor
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Mini Sector Profiles 2011 MANAWATU REGION Tourism & Visitor Tourism plays a significant role in the Manawatu region economy even though the region has not generally been perceived as a tourist destination. The region’s greatest strength is in domestic tourism. It accounts for an above average share of domestic day trips and overnight trips by New Zealand residents. Providing you with a better understanding of the different components of the Manawatu region economy and the contribution each sector makes to the demographic and economic growth of the region. Workforce It is estimated that 4.7% of the workforce in the Manawatu region were employed in tourism related jobs in February 2010, accounting for 2,900 jobs and earnings of $82 million (salaries, wages and self-employed incomes in the year to March 2009). Estimates for the contribution of the sector to the regional economy, based on the tourism satellite account, suggest it had a direct economic contribution of $168 million in 2010 and an indirect economic contribution of $229 million, giving a total estimated economic contribution of $397 million. Visitors Palmerston North is a major destination for domestic visitors, with 1.1 million day visitors in the year to December 2010 (4.0% of the national total) and close to 0.4 million overnight visits (2.5% of the national total). In 2010 30% of overnight visits to Palmerston North (121,000 visits) were for leisure, recreation and holidays, 18% (70,000 visits)) were for business or professional reasons and 50% (200,000) were for visits to friends and relatives.1 The number of overnight trips to the city compares very favourably with other centres recognised as significant tourism destinations. For example the 399,000 overnight visits to Palmerston North was only slightly below the 410,000 overnight visits to Dunedin and 453,000 visits to Tauranga, and higher than overnight visits to destinations such as Napier, New Plymouth, Hastings and Queenstown. The share of international visitor numbers to the region is lower than the national average but they still contribute a significant proportion of total visitor numbers in the region, with an estimated 90,000 international visitors staying in commercial and private accommodation (for example with friends and family) in the region during 2010. Tourism & Visitor Tourism International cardholder spending through the Paymark network for the year to June 2011 accounted for $5.7 million of retail spending in Palmerston North, also around 1% of total retail expenditure on the network. Tourism Opportunities The Manawatu region is not currently renowned for its dominance of tourism opportunities that attract significant numbers of international visitors. The presence of the NZ Rugby Museum, however, is a key strength for attracting rugby visitors to the region. Super 15 MANAWATU REGION MANAWATU rugby games and international rugby tests all bring international visitors to New Zealand and the museum is a key attraction for these visitors. Tourists can easily access Wellington, the Hawkes Bay, Taranaki and the Central North Island ski fields from a central base in the region. This “gateway” concept is a strength that is being further developed to enable leveraging of commissionable tourism opportunities located in neighbouring regions. Palmerston North offers a strong retail sector that services a wide region, drawing a high number of visitors from the surrounding Mini Sector Profile Manawatu-Wanganui region and from Wellington, Taranaki and the Hawkes Bay. 1 Tourism Strategy Group, Ministry of Tourism Events Events are important for bringing visitors to the region. The region has great infrastructure for hosting national and international sports events and has a well recognised strength in hosting conventions and conferences. These build on the region’s central location in New Zealand and key transport hubs. Also important is the growing strength in cultural diversity within the Palmerston North community and the depth and breadth of activities and events associated with this segment. Education It is also important to recognise the influence of the education sector in attracting visitors to the Events are important region. This includes Massey University, UCOL for bringing visitors to Polytechnic, International Pacific College and ETC Learning Centre. Short-term international the region. The region students visiting the city for language study has great infrastructure and professional development are counted for hosting national as tourists and usually stay much longer in and international sports the region than other international visitors. events and has a well Long-term students are often visited by family and friends and a proportion of international recognised strength in students settle in the region. Domestic hosting conventions extramural students at Massey University are and conferences. often required to travel to the city for block courses, some of which are timed during the semester breaks when student accommodation is available for visiting students. Tourism & Visitor Tourism Medical and Health Providers MidCentral Health and other medical and health providers play an important role in bringing domestic visitors to the city, particularly through the cancer treatment and support services offered in Palmerston North. As an example, economic impact assessments prepared recently for Ozanam House (accommodation for patients, and the families of patients receiving radiotherapy treatment for cancer at Palmerston North Hospital) suggest it accounts for approximately 28,000 visitor nights a year and an approximate net regional economic impact of $1.5 million. REGION MANAWATU Mini Sector Profile Councils Role The importance of tourism in the economic strength of the Manawatu region influences the type and quantity of services which need to be provided by the two Councils which make up the region (Palmerston North City and Manawatu District). They include water/ waste water, solid waste, recycling, roading, parking and amenities such as public toilets, and parks and recreational areas. Additional visitors to the region increase demand for these services so an understanding of visitors to the City and expected increases in visitor numbers are required for Councils to adequately plan for these services. The Councils play a role in the marketing of the region to visitors and in encouraging more businesses and people to consider the region to be a desirable location to work and invest. Enhancements to infrastructure in the region, and the development of attractions which make the Manawatu a more desirable place to visit, also make the Manawatu a more desirable place to live. Tourism & Visitor Tourism The sector profiles for the Manawatu Region have been developed by the Palmerston North City Council to provide a better understanding of the different components of the Manawatu economy and the contribution each sector makes to the demographic and economic growth of the region. Even within the broad industrial sectors of the Australian and New Zealand Standard Industrial Classification (ANZSIC) 2006 there can be a diverse range of activities undertaken and it is useful to understand which sectors MANAWATU REGION MANAWATU are growing and are likely to grow in the future and their overall contribution to jobs and incomes in the region. A satellite approach is used for the tourism sector because tourism activity covers a range of different industry classifications. The profiles are drawn from a range of sources, including the Tourism Strategy Group at the Ministry of Economic Development, Statistics New Zealand, Covec and APR Consultants. Destination Manawatu has provided significant support with the preparation of the profile. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION PLEASE CONTAct: Peter Crawford | Economic Policy Advisor | Palmerston North City Council | Private Bag 11034 | Mini Sector Profile Palmerston North | [email protected] PUBLISHED BY: Palmerston North City Council | Private Bag 11034 | Palmerston North | Phone: 06 356 8199 | Fax: 06 355 4115 | www.pncc.govt.nz.