1 00:00:00,240 --> 00:00:02,719 Speaker 1: The government's coughing up thirteen and a half million dollars 2 00:00:02,759 --> 00:00:05,720 Speaker 1: for a new global marketing campaign to attract tourists to 3 00:00:05,760 --> 00:00:08,680 Speaker 1: New Zealand this comes. That's the number of international visitors 4 00:00:08,720 --> 00:00:11,959 Speaker 1: dropped two percent in February compared with last year, though 5 00:00:11,960 --> 00:00:14,320 Speaker 1: that was largely to do with the timing of the 6 00:00:14,400 --> 00:00:17,680 Speaker 1: Chinese New Year. We're still only at eighty five percent 7 00:00:17,720 --> 00:00:21,520 Speaker 1: of pre COVID overall. Chief Executive Tourism Holdings Grant Websters 8 00:00:21,520 --> 00:00:22,560 Speaker 1: with me, Hi Grant. 9 00:00:23,280 --> 00:00:24,960 Speaker 2: Good morning, welcome back to the morning. 10 00:00:25,079 --> 00:00:28,360 Speaker 1: Thank you good to be here. So is now a 11 00:00:28,360 --> 00:00:31,800 Speaker 1: good time to be spending coin on advertising for international 12 00:00:31,800 --> 00:00:33,200 Speaker 1: tourism direcum. 13 00:00:34,000 --> 00:00:37,159 Speaker 2: Yes, I do. Obviously I'm somewhat biased, but it's a 14 00:00:37,280 --> 00:00:40,920 Speaker 2: very competitive market out there, and often in New Zealand 15 00:00:41,000 --> 00:00:43,000 Speaker 2: we think people just come, you know, because we're a 16 00:00:43,000 --> 00:00:46,239 Speaker 2: great country, which we are, but we're well less than 17 00:00:46,280 --> 00:00:48,760 Speaker 2: one percent of world tourism, so you know, we have 18 00:00:48,920 --> 00:00:49,440 Speaker 2: to compete. 19 00:00:50,360 --> 00:00:53,159 Speaker 1: Did you see your boost from the campaign that they 20 00:00:53,240 --> 00:00:55,680 Speaker 1: launched in Australia? You know that everyone must Go campaign 21 00:00:55,760 --> 00:00:58,400 Speaker 1: that everyone made fun of. Did it work as you 22 00:00:58,440 --> 00:00:59,920 Speaker 1: have you seen any evidence of it work? 23 00:01:01,200 --> 00:01:03,840 Speaker 2: Look, there has been some commentary in the market that 24 00:01:04,280 --> 00:01:07,520 Speaker 2: some people have. It's a very difficult time year on 25 00:01:07,640 --> 00:01:12,080 Speaker 2: year comparisons because East is obviously so late relative to 26 00:01:12,160 --> 00:01:15,520 Speaker 2: last year. There's no major events in winter, so it's 27 00:01:15,560 --> 00:01:17,920 Speaker 2: quite hard to get a direct comparison out of Australia 28 00:01:17,959 --> 00:01:20,399 Speaker 2: for US at that time. It's not a big market 29 00:01:20,400 --> 00:01:23,720 Speaker 2: for US. We turn domestic at that time, so not noticeable. 30 00:01:23,760 --> 00:01:26,320 Speaker 2: But there has been some positive commentary in the industry. 31 00:01:26,520 --> 00:01:27,679 Speaker 1: How is domestic going? 32 00:01:29,040 --> 00:01:33,640 Speaker 2: Oh, look, it's okay, it's okay. It's not something to 33 00:01:33,720 --> 00:01:37,400 Speaker 2: write home about, but we're not in the doldrums about it. 34 00:01:37,160 --> 00:01:38,080 Speaker 2: It's okay. 35 00:01:38,600 --> 00:01:40,720 Speaker 1: What markets do you reckon? We should be targeting because 36 00:01:40,760 --> 00:01:43,920 Speaker 1: they're talking China, they're talking Australia in the US, India, Germany, 37 00:01:43,959 --> 00:01:46,919 Speaker 1: South Korea. India less so, but as an emerging market 38 00:01:47,120 --> 00:01:49,160 Speaker 1: in South Korea, I. 39 00:01:49,520 --> 00:01:53,000 Speaker 2: Think that feels really good. Actually, the tourist in New 40 00:01:53,080 --> 00:01:56,440 Speaker 2: Zealand's get the information on forward bookings, they get the 41 00:01:56,480 --> 00:01:59,680 Speaker 2: information on who's got the most active considerers for New Zealand, 42 00:02:00,080 --> 00:02:02,920 Speaker 2: targeting where the fish are, so I think that's the 43 00:02:03,000 --> 00:02:05,160 Speaker 2: right thing to do. They feel like the right markets. 44 00:02:05,600 --> 00:02:08,960 Speaker 1: How worried are you? Grant about the slowdown, you know, 45 00:02:09,040 --> 00:02:13,120 Speaker 1: the global general global slowdown that will inevitably come from 46 00:02:13,320 --> 00:02:14,160 Speaker 1: these tariffs. 47 00:02:16,000 --> 00:02:19,520 Speaker 2: Yeah. Look, I think that the volatility and uncertainty is 48 00:02:20,480 --> 00:02:23,720 Speaker 2: I know those have come. Where's everybody's using But no, 49 00:02:23,880 --> 00:02:26,440 Speaker 2: look that is it is concerning on a global basis. 50 00:02:26,880 --> 00:02:29,200 Speaker 2: You know, people put their hands in their pockets very quickly. 51 00:02:29,280 --> 00:02:32,520 Speaker 2: We know that. We certainly see and we've talked about 52 00:02:32,520 --> 00:02:35,520 Speaker 2: this that Europeans going into the US because we're obviously 53 00:02:35,600 --> 00:02:39,480 Speaker 2: got business up there that's really dropped off. Will that 54 00:02:39,639 --> 00:02:42,839 Speaker 2: balance out with domestic in the US. I don't know. So, yeah, 55 00:02:42,880 --> 00:02:47,359 Speaker 2: we watch and wait and see. Definitely. In the past 56 00:02:47,680 --> 00:02:50,799 Speaker 2: we've seen things recover quite quickly when there's been a 57 00:02:50,840 --> 00:02:53,160 Speaker 2: bit of a pause. But we'll see. You have to 58 00:02:53,160 --> 00:02:54,200 Speaker 2: see what happens this time. 59 00:02:54,320 --> 00:02:56,520 Speaker 1: All right, Grant, Hey, take care, best of luck, Thanks 60 00:02:56,520 --> 00:02:58,640 Speaker 1: for coming on the program. As always, Grant, we chief 61 00:02:58,639 --> 00:02:59,960 Speaker 1: executive Terrorism Holdings. 62 00:03:00,880 --> 00:03:04,040 Speaker 2: For more Familiarly edition with Ryan Bridge, listen live to 63 00:03:04,160 --> 00:03:08,000 Speaker 2: Newstalk SETB from five am weekdays, or follow the podcast 64 00:03:08,040 --> 00:03:08,960 Speaker 2: on iHeartRadio.