Each year Tourism New Zealand commissions independent research
to gain a sense of how satisfied our international visitors are
with the holiday experience New Zealand provides.
Making sure that international visitors have an enjoyable
experience is the key to the future of the tourism industry.
Visitors that have the experience of a lifetime while on holiday in
New Zealand are more likely to recommend the destination to other
people or return for a second visit themselves.
Conducted annually, the Visitor
Experience Monitor (VEM) provides a benchmark for the New
Zealand tourism industry from which to improve the experiences it
offers visitors.
Summary
Overall Australian visitors were very satisfied with their
holidays in New Zealand in 2010/11 rating their experience 8.9 out
of 10 on average. This rating is slightly down on last year when
Australian visitors rated their experience 9.1 out of 10.
At an overall level Australian visitors participated in fewer
activities and visited fewer regions in 2010/11. This finding is
evident across both holiday and visiting friends and relative (VFR)
markets. There has also been an increase in the ratio of VFR
visitors from Australia who tend to spend less time in New Zealand
and tend to stay with friends and family rather than in paid
accommodation.
The reduced number of activities Australians are undertaking has
impacted overall satisfaction as Australian visitors rate
activities as the most important aspect of satisfaction. It is also
an area where New Zealand performs well.
In terms of the individual components of a visit to New Zealand,
Australian visitors were most satisfied with New Zealand's
environment (rating it 9.0 out of 10) and the activities they did
while in New Zealand (rating them 8.9 out of 10). Australian
visitors were least satisfied with the food and beverage they
received in New Zealand (8.1 out of 10).
The most important components of a trip to New Zealand for
Australian visitors in determining overall satisfaction were
activities (24 per cent of overall satisfaction), accommodation (20
per cent of overall satisfaction) and the environment (18 per cent
of overall satisfaction).
For further information on the Australian market, download the
Australian VEM Market Summary below.