1
00:00:00,240 --> 00:00:02,719
Speaker 1: In New Zealand has announced a berg push into Asia.

2
00:00:02,759 --> 00:00:04,800
Speaker 1: They're going to add thirty thousand seats to the Tokyo

3
00:00:04,920 --> 00:00:08,000
Speaker 1: route between November and March. The chief executive, Greg four And,

4
00:00:08,119 --> 00:00:09,959
Speaker 1: made it to Japan just in time for the announcement,

5
00:00:10,000 --> 00:00:12,119
Speaker 1: says they're going to be flying more Boeing Triple sevens

6
00:00:12,119 --> 00:00:14,240
Speaker 1: to Tokyo, which allows them to add the seat capacity.

7
00:00:14,440 --> 00:00:16,520
Speaker 1: Brad Olsen is Infametrix principal economist.

8
00:00:16,520 --> 00:00:18,240
Speaker 2: Hey Brad, Good evening.

9
00:00:18,280 --> 00:00:21,040
Speaker 1: Brad, you know, I reckon not enough of us realize

10
00:00:21,040 --> 00:00:23,040
Speaker 1: what a cool destination Japan actually is.

11
00:00:24,360 --> 00:00:25,880
Speaker 2: No, but I think a lot of us want to

12
00:00:26,440 --> 00:00:29,040
Speaker 2: and it is interesting. You know, Greg Luran was talking

13
00:00:29,080 --> 00:00:31,840
Speaker 2: at this announcement and saying, look, we're putting on more

14
00:00:31,880 --> 00:00:35,519
Speaker 2: planes because there's more demand. New analysis out today from

15
00:00:35,600 --> 00:00:38,280
Speaker 2: the Asian New Zealand Foundation shows that that's actually true

16
00:00:38,280 --> 00:00:41,600
Speaker 2: of a lot of Kiwis. Are the top destination for

17
00:00:41,720 --> 00:00:45,240
Speaker 2: Kiwis that Kiwis are interested in visiting is Japan are whopping?

18
00:00:45,320 --> 00:00:47,440
Speaker 2: Sixty six percent of us want to head over and

19
00:00:47,479 --> 00:00:49,360
Speaker 2: have a bit of a look. Also a great time

20
00:00:49,400 --> 00:00:51,280
Speaker 2: to do it, you know, when the end's a bit weaken,

21
00:00:51,360 --> 00:00:54,040
Speaker 2: it's a bit cheaper to go over I myself was

22
00:00:54,120 --> 00:00:56,880
Speaker 2: over there earlier this year. It was fantastic. There's so

23
00:00:56,960 --> 00:00:59,440
Speaker 2: much culture, There's so much I mean the food. Let's

24
00:00:59,480 --> 00:01:02,800
Speaker 2: be clear. The Foundation's results also show that us kiwis

25
00:01:02,840 --> 00:01:05,839
Speaker 2: we're keen on going and having a look at food.

26
00:01:05,880 --> 00:01:07,960
Speaker 2: Mostly our culture and all the other bits are important,

27
00:01:07,959 --> 00:01:10,800
Speaker 2: but food's a real big one for us. But it's exciting.

28
00:01:10,920 --> 00:01:12,800
Speaker 2: I think. The other thing, right is it's not just

29
00:01:12,880 --> 00:01:15,360
Speaker 2: Japan obviously the Prime minister's there at the moment, but

30
00:01:16,000 --> 00:01:18,440
Speaker 2: in New Zealand also wanting to add more capacity into

31
00:01:18,480 --> 00:01:21,200
Speaker 2: a number of other routes over that sort of winter

32
00:01:21,280 --> 00:01:24,000
Speaker 2: period in parts of Asia. So it's just opening up

33
00:01:24,000 --> 00:01:27,160
Speaker 2: those opportunities at a time when New Zealanders are becoming

34
00:01:27,440 --> 00:01:30,640
Speaker 2: more confident understanding what's happening in Asia and by the looks,

35
00:01:30,640 --> 00:01:32,280
Speaker 2: so that we really do want to get there and

36
00:01:32,319 --> 00:01:33,280
Speaker 2: have a look ourselves.

37
00:01:33,360 --> 00:01:35,440
Speaker 1: Yeah. So, I mean it's one thing to go over

38
00:01:35,440 --> 00:01:37,480
Speaker 1: there and have a fantastic time, but we want their money.

39
00:01:37,520 --> 00:01:38,600
Speaker 1: So what can we get from them?

40
00:01:39,880 --> 00:01:42,160
Speaker 2: Well, I mean we suddenly get a lot from them already.

41
00:01:42,480 --> 00:01:44,120
Speaker 2: I mean, yes, we're trying to get more of those

42
00:01:44,200 --> 00:01:47,120
Speaker 2: tourists coming through certainly from Japan. I think it's only

43
00:01:47,120 --> 00:01:50,240
Speaker 2: at about half of those pre pandemic levels if you look

44
00:01:50,280 --> 00:01:52,040
Speaker 2: at some of the trade numbers that we get from them.

45
00:01:52,080 --> 00:01:55,840
Speaker 2: I mean Japan's like our fourth biggest trading partner over

46
00:01:55,880 --> 00:01:58,200
Speaker 2: the last year. So again, you know, huge in terms

47
00:01:58,200 --> 00:02:00,960
Speaker 2: of those opportunities and something that you know New Zealand

48
00:02:01,000 --> 00:02:03,080
Speaker 2: when it comes to trade, we are thinking a little

49
00:02:03,120 --> 00:02:07,840
Speaker 2: bit more strategically going forward at Japan's also the friendliest

50
00:02:07,920 --> 00:02:11,040
Speaker 2: country in Asia if you ask in New Zealanders, whereas

51
00:02:11,080 --> 00:02:13,440
Speaker 2: the likes of China, which is still the most important.

52
00:02:13,960 --> 00:02:16,760
Speaker 2: It's got the greatest influence a total of eighty two

53
00:02:16,760 --> 00:02:19,880
Speaker 2: percent of kiwis reckon that China is the most influential country,

54
00:02:20,360 --> 00:02:21,880
Speaker 2: but there's sort of a bit more of a split

55
00:02:21,919 --> 00:02:24,040
Speaker 2: over is its friend or foe. It's obviously got a

56
00:02:24,040 --> 00:02:26,360
Speaker 2: big influence, but a bit more of a split le

57
00:02:26,400 --> 00:02:28,920
Speaker 2: mixed view. So I think it is interesting we're becoming

58
00:02:28,919 --> 00:02:31,440
Speaker 2: more nuanced, We're getting out and about across the world,

59
00:02:31,919 --> 00:02:34,440
Speaker 2: and I think it's encouraging to see not only government

60
00:02:34,480 --> 00:02:36,360
Speaker 2: but private sector who are looking at some of these

61
00:02:36,440 --> 00:02:39,520
Speaker 2: numbers and going actually there's real business opportunities we can

62
00:02:39,560 --> 00:02:42,119
Speaker 2: get Kiwi's over there to experience it. We can get

63
00:02:42,120 --> 00:02:44,320
Speaker 2: people from over in Asia here to New Zealand to

64
00:02:44,320 --> 00:02:46,799
Speaker 2: buy our products, to see what's going on. It's all

65
00:02:46,840 --> 00:02:48,000
Speaker 2: a good news story to the.

66
00:02:47,960 --> 00:02:50,440
Speaker 1: Moment, Brad, when you went over, did you go over

67
00:02:50,480 --> 00:02:52,560
Speaker 1: for the food, like the cultural experience? Did you go

68
00:02:52,600 --> 00:02:53,360
Speaker 1: over the skiing?

69
00:02:54,600 --> 00:02:56,400
Speaker 2: I didn't go for the skiing only because I'm a

70
00:02:56,480 --> 00:02:59,359
Speaker 2: house in safety recify go skiing. So I went for

71
00:02:59,480 --> 00:03:02,560
Speaker 2: all the other the opportunities. They're trying to do some

72
00:03:02,600 --> 00:03:04,480
Speaker 2: of that sort of stuff, you know, but food and

73
00:03:04,480 --> 00:03:06,200
Speaker 2: culture was much more important to me.

74
00:03:06,720 --> 00:03:10,080
Speaker 1: Yeah, it's pretty cool. The hotel rooms are tiny a.

75
00:03:11,639 --> 00:03:13,839
Speaker 2: They are, but to be fair, there's so much to see.

76
00:03:13,880 --> 00:03:15,519
Speaker 2: You don't need to be in the hotel rooms. But

77
00:03:15,680 --> 00:03:17,800
Speaker 2: you know, you go back in for your sleep and

78
00:03:17,800 --> 00:03:20,040
Speaker 2: then you're up early in the morning. But especially because

79
00:03:20,040 --> 00:03:21,800
Speaker 2: a little bit of jet leg you go and find,

80
00:03:21,960 --> 00:03:24,440
Speaker 2: you know, a seven eleven to go and grab something

81
00:03:24,440 --> 00:03:26,440
Speaker 2: from quickly, you go for a walk around, you find

82
00:03:26,480 --> 00:03:29,640
Speaker 2: another restaurant. I mean there's Rahm and Galore. You don't

83
00:03:29,720 --> 00:03:32,120
Speaker 2: you can order it all from a machine on the side.

84
00:03:32,160 --> 00:03:34,600
Speaker 2: I mean, it is fantastic. And look we are seeing

85
00:03:34,680 --> 00:03:38,680
Speaker 2: more kiwis now you are heading over compared to pre pandemic.

86
00:03:39,080 --> 00:03:41,360
Speaker 2: Given that a two thirds of us want to go

87
00:03:41,400 --> 00:03:43,000
Speaker 2: to Japan, I think there'll be a lot more of

88
00:03:43,080 --> 00:03:44,640
Speaker 2: us looking snap those tic contutions.

89
00:03:45,040 --> 00:03:46,400
Speaker 1: Are they still smoking inside?

90
00:03:47,880 --> 00:03:50,200
Speaker 2: I didn't see any of that personally, I think, I mean,

91
00:03:50,320 --> 00:03:52,200
Speaker 2: there's a lot more sort of I felt there was

92
00:03:52,200 --> 00:03:53,920
Speaker 2: a lot sort of more respect to that with some

93
00:03:53,960 --> 00:03:55,920
Speaker 2: of those things. You know, people were definitely smoking in

94
00:03:56,000 --> 00:03:59,240
Speaker 2: more designated areas, a bit more outside. Definitely not as

95
00:03:59,240 --> 00:04:00,920
Speaker 2: hardcore as like think it probably would have been in

96
00:04:00,920 --> 00:04:01,480
Speaker 2: the nineties.

97
00:04:01,600 --> 00:04:05,200
Speaker 1: Yeah, nope, or even in the twenty tens. I'll tell you, Brad,

98
00:04:05,200 --> 00:04:06,880
Speaker 1: Thank you mate. Really good to talk to you. Brad

99
00:04:06,880 --> 00:04:10,080
Speaker 1: Alson and for Metrix principal economist. For more from Hither

100
00:04:10,200 --> 00:04:13,200
Speaker 1: Duplessy Allen Drive, listen live to news talks it'd be

101
00:04:13,360 --> 00:04:17,240
Speaker 1: from four pm weekdays, or follow the podcast on iHeartRadio.