In the aftermath of the financial crisis of 2009 New Zealand has managed to recover a great deal and its tourism industry has now overtaken its dairy product industry.
New Zealand is famous for its lamb, rugby players and stunning scenery. The rugby and beautiful scenery tempt many to make the long journey, and a long journey it certainly is. The flight there is almost the same for both Europeans and North Americans. The Japanese, who are said to be very generous spenders, are slightly closer yet are hardly close to New Zealand.
This leaves the New Zealand tourism industry heavily relying on neighboring Australia. Fortunately, Australians have been hopping across the Tasman a lot this year to banish the horrors of last year and allow New Zealand tourism to challenge dairy products as the country’s biggest export.
Up to March this year, foreign visitors left $9.5 billion on the two major New Zealand islands, in comparison with the $149 million during the slump of 2009. The influx of Australian tourists looking for bargain holidays has been a blessing for New Zealanders. The revenue from dairy exports reached $9 billion before the end of March, thus just being beaten by tourism into first place.
The situation is almost certain to improve next year when New Zealand hosts the Rugby World Cup. Even the distance should not put rugby fans off traveling to such a famous event. One should keep in mind that neighboring Australia is equally obsessed with the sport so the Tasman strip could be busier than ever before.