Events generate more tourism, research shows

Kiwi holidaymakers are more likely to visit a new region if there is an event on, the Ministry of Economic Development’s latest tourism report shows.

The Regional Visitor Monitor (RVM) – a quarterly report released today – found that for 21.5 percent of domestic holiday travellers, an event in the region was an important factor in their decision to go there in 2010.

Roger Wigglesworth, the Ministry’s Director of Tourism, Events and Consumer Affairs, said that the report emphasises the importance of events to tourism.

“There are few studies which show the nature, scale and value of events, but our latest report does provide some perspective. It demonstrates that events are an important driver of tourism activity, particularly in the domestic market,” he said.

The report also showed that event-driven domestic visitors spend on average 13 percent more than other domestic holiday visitors.

“The spending patterns of visitors show that the economic benefits of events are widely dispersed in the region where the event is held,” said Mr Wigglesworth.

Other highlights of the report included:

• visitors going on holiday specifically because of an event tend to be much more socially-driven than other tourists
• event-driven visitors tend to spend on average one day less in the region than other visitors
• when going to an event, visitors are more likely to stay in a hotel over other forms of accommodation.

The RVM is a quarterly benchmark that collects information on international and domestic visitors to New Zealand's main tourist destinations, including motivations, planning and booking, and activities. In this survey, events included, but were not limited to, social activities like family reunions, sports events, concerts, and cultural events, including festivals. Business events and conferences were excluded from the analysis.
The report is a prepared in collaboration between the Ministry of Economic Development, Tourism New Zealand and Regional Tourism Organisations. The December 2010 RVM Benchmark Report is available on www.tourismresearch.govt.nz/rvm.