12 Aug
NZ Prime Minister Recognizes Growing Importance of Older Tourists
It is good to see that Prime Minister John Key has recognized the growing importance of older tourists to New Zealand tourism. Inside Tourism 798 reports that in a speech to the Motel Association of New Zealand (MANZ) conference recently, Key said that moteliers should not be surprised if their market becomes increasingly retired people. “They will travel around New Zealand as they will have more time on their hands and will want see the West Coast or whatever and you will get more of them as at the moment New Zealand has 535,000 over 65 and in 40 years it will have a million. We are aging fast.” He said the average New Zealand male dies at 79 and the average female at 82. The average age of death rises 2.5 year ever decade and Mr Key said his son Max, now aged 15, will have the statistical probability of living to be 100. People will have more leisure time and will be fitter.
Given that the government’s own data shows that:
- the largest group of both domestic and international travellers in New Zealand are already 45 years old or older
- more visitors engage in sedentary activity while in New Zealand
- people experience increasing disability with age
then Access Tourism NZ hopes that our government and industry will begin to take into consideration what the needs of older and more disabled visitors are. We need to do this in older to make sure our tourism is sustainable and does not continue to lag behind our major competitors who are already tapping into this growing market.
