Tourism 2025: an industry perspective

Abstract

Purpose Tourism 2025 – Growing Value Together/Whakatipu Uara Ngatahi is a framework to unite New Zealand's large and diverse tourism industry and ignite strong, aspirational economic growth. Its goal is to see the tourism industry contribute $41 billion a year to the New Zealand economy by 2025, up from $24 billion now. It provides vital context for some collective actions by big or small industry clusters and for thousands of actions individual businesses will take each year. The paper aims to discuss these issues. Design/methodology/approach A wide range of tourism industry stakeholders were consulted over an 18‐month period to ensure the project was being developed on a solid, evidence‐based foundation. There was strong stakeholder support for a framework which the private sector takes ownership of and responsibility for, but which also recognises that public sector support is vital. The project team developed a “straw‐man” growth framework model which resulted in carrying out detailed investigations and consultation to test and, where necessary, adjust that model into its final form. Findings There were four major forces shaping the global tourism market. There was one positive force for New Zealand countered by three tough challenges. The strawman growth framework comprised five separate yet inter‐connected “cycle of growth” themes. These themes are relatively consistent with global national tourism plans that were studied. Used intelligently and in harmony, with the industry fully understanding the inter‐relationships and inter‐dependencies within the “cycle of growth”, the key themes enable the tourism industry to successfully come to grips with the challenges and opportunities ahead. Originality/value Tourism 2025 is aimed at aligning the industry on a pathway towards aspirational growth.