This page is not a current Christchurch City Council document. Please read our disclaimer.
International Visitors
Key Points
|
Christchurch is a well established domestic and international tourist destination. The City also provides a gateway for visitors to Canterbury and the South Island through Christchurch International Airport. Christchurch received approximately 602,000 international visitors in the year ending March 1996. This represents 47 percent of the international visitors to New Zealand for this period. Christchurch has the second highest number of international visitors, after Auckland. It receives the highest number of visitors in the South Island with 154,000 more persons per year visiting Christchurch than Queenstown. Table 3.5 provides a brief profile of the economic impact of international tourism for the City.
| Table 3.5 International Visitors | |
| Total number of Visitors to Christchurch | 602,000 |
| Total number of Visitor Nights in Christchurch | 2,554,000 |
| Average length of Stay (Days) | 4.2 |
| Annual Increase in Visitors | 10% |
| Annual Increase in Visitor Numbers | 9% |
| Tourist expenditure for Christchurch 1995/96 year | $388 million |
| Growth in Expenditure | $55 million/year |
| Economic Impact for 1995/96year (using NZTB multiplier of 2.4) | $931 million |
Source: New Zealand Tourism Board, International Visitor Survey
International visitor numbers for Christchurch have increased by 30 percent since the New Zealand Tourist Board (NZTB) International Visitors Survey in 1992/93. This is in line with the national increase in visitor numbers of 27 percent for the same period. Visitor nights spent in Christchurch have increased by 28 percent since the 1992/93[8] survey, slightly less than the increase in visitor numbers. This means that even though there has been an increase in the range of activities for visitors in the last three years, such as the development of the Tramway and Casino, international visitors have not spent more time in Christchurch.
Australian, North American and Japanese visitors collectively account for 54 percent of the international visitors to Christchurch. Between a half and two thirds of the visitors from most countries visit Christchurch during their time in New Zealand. Asian visitors (excluding the Japanese) have provided the greatest source of new growth for the local tourist market with numbers increasing by 70 percent between the 1992/93 and 1995/95 surveys.
The potential tourist revenue from the Asian market is significant. Foreign exchange earnings for Christchurch from the Asian market have doubled between the 1992/93 and 1995/96 surveys. Foreign exchange earnings (excluding airfares) for New Zealand from visitor expenditure was $3.6 billion in the 1995/96 survey period, a 24 percent annual increase since the 1992/93 survey. Christchurch’s foreign exchange earnings for the 1995/96 survey period are estimated at approximately $388 million, an increase of $166 million since the 1992/93 survey. Tourist spending has a flow on effect through the local economy. In 1992 the NZTB estimated this multiplier effect was 2.4 for tourist spending in Canterbury. This means that for every $1 spent by an international visitor the local economy benefits by $2.40. Using information from the latest survey it is estimated the Christchurch economy benefited from international visitor spending by $931 million for the 1995/96 period.
Foreign Exchange earnings from most market regions increased by 70 - 100 percent since the 1992/93 survey, except for Japan where average expenditure decreased. This exception can be explained by the increase in the number of Japanese students and visitors on working holidays who have stayed longer than 60 days (6 percent), and account for two thirds of the Japanese visitor nights. Their dominance skews the average spending per day estimate downwards, to $210. If these long term visitors are excluded the average Japanese visitor would spend $504 per day, bringing the increase in spending in line with other Asian visitors.
The greatest proportion of nights spent by international visitors is in the homes of friends and relatives (31 percent). Motels(15 percent) and Backpackers(12 percent) account for the greatest proportion of commercial accommodation, with mid range Hotels and top range Hotels accounting for 7 percent and 6 percent of the visitor nights respectively. The most noticeable changes in accommodation patterns are a 120 percent increase in Farm Stay/Home Stays, and a 40 percent decrease in nights spent in mid range hotel accommodation, since the 1992/93 survey.