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 2011/12 rating their experience 8.9 out
of 10 on average which is consistent with last year's
results.
The most important components of a trip to New Zealand for
Australian visitors in determining overall satisfaction were
activities (33 per cent of overall satisfaction), the environment
(20 per cent of overall satisfaction) and accommodation (17 per
cent of overall satisfaction).
Over the last two years Australian visitors have continued to
participate in fewer activities. The reduced number of activities
Australians are undertaking has impacted satisfaction levels given
the amount of importance placed on this aspect.
The Rugby World Cup significantly increased the number of
Australians who attended a sporting event and bar or nightclub.
While fewer Australian visitors participated in country-based
sightseeing, those that did rated it very highly at 9.1 out of
10.
In 2011/12, Australians were also less likely to use paid for
accommodation. This finding supports the increase in the ratio of
visiting friends and relative (VFR) visitors from Australia who
tend to spend less time in New Zealand and stay with friends and
family rather than in paid accommodation.
In terms of the individual components of a visit to New Zealand,
Australian visitors were most satisfied with the activities they
did while in New Zealand (rating them 8.9 out of 10) and New
Zealand's environment (rating it 8.8 out of 10). Australian
visitors continue to be least satisfied with the food and beverage
they received in New Zealand (8.3 out of 10).
For further information on the Australian market, download the Australian
VEM market summary below.