TOURISM SECTOR PROFILE
TOURIST ACTIVITY | MAORI CULTURAL TOURISM
NEW ZEALAND | SERIES B4 | SEPTEMBER 2009
INTRODUCING THE MAORI CULTURAL TOURISM SECTOR
Where do tourists experience Maori cultural activities?
This report provides an overview of Maori cultural tourism in New
Zealand, including trends and characteristics of tourists who have
participated in Maori cultural activities and experiences.
The most popular Regional Tourism Organisation (RTO) area visited
by international Maori cultural tourists was Rotorua with 337,600
tourists (or 86% of all international Maori cultural tourists) (Figure 2).
Maori cultural activities and experiences play an important role in the
New Zealand visitor experience. They provide a unique point of
difference for the New Zealand tourism industry.
Fifty percent of international tourists to Rotorua RTO participated in
Maori cultural activities. This is the highest propensity for
international visitors to an RTO.
Maori cultural tourists are defined as international and domestic
visitors, aged 15 years and over, who have participated in at least
one Maori cultural activity while travelling in New Zealand. Residents
who participated in Maori cultural activities within their local area are
not included in this definition.
Figure 2: RTO Destinations of International Maori Culture
Tourists *1
Activities may include Maori cultural performances, marae visits and
other Maori organised activities such as arts, crafts, food and drink.
Rotorua
Auckland
Canterbury
Northland
TRENDS IN MAORI CULTURAL TOURISM
Queenstown
How many tourists participated in Maori cultural activities?
In 2008, 477,000 tourists participated in Maori cultural activities. The
majority were international tourists (361,600 or 76%). Sixteen percent
of all international tourists partipcated in Maori cultural activities while
in New Zealand.
Lake Taupo
50
100
150
200
250
300
350
400
Maori cultural tourists (000s)
International tourists who participated in Maori cultural activities more than once in the
same RTO are only counted once.
The most popular Maori cultural activity for international tourists was
Maori cultural performances (351,900 tourists or 90% of all
international Maori cultural tourists), followed by visiting maraes
(118,000 or 30%) (Figure 1).
The most popular RTO visited by domestic Maori cultural tourists
was also Rotorua (43,100 tourists or 35% of all domestic Maori
cultural tourists), followed by Waikato (12,400 or 10%) and Northland
(10,500 or 9%) (Figure 3).
Less than 1% of all domestic tourists (excluding local residents)
particpated in Maori cultural activities while travelling in New
Zealand. Among domestic tourists the most popular activities were
also Maori cultural performances (80,800 tourists or 66% of all
domestic Maori cultural tourists) and visiting maraes (22,400 or
18%).
Figure 3: RTO Destinations of Domestic Maori Culture
Tourists *2
Figure 1: Maori Cultural Activities *1*2
Tourists (000s)
Maori performances
Marae visits
Rotorua
Waikato
Northland
Other Maori organised activities
Hawke's Bay
400
Eastland
300
Bay of Plenty
10
200
20
30
40
50
Maori cultural tourists (000s)
Domestic tourists who participated in Maori cultural activities more than once in the same
RTO are only counted once.
100
0
International
Domestic
The Ministry of Tourism
Telephone: (04) 498 7440
Email: [email protected]
www.tourismresearch.govt.nz
www.tourismresearch.govt.nz
2
TOURIST ACTIVITY | MAORI CULTURAL TOURISM
CHARACTERISTICS OF MAORI CULTURAL TOURISTS
What is the age-profile of Maori cultural tourists?
Where do Maori cultural tourists come from?
Twenty percent of international Maori cultural tourists were aged 2534 years and 55-64 years, followed by those aged 45-54 years (17%)
and 35-44 years (16%) (Figure 7).
International tourists from Australia (19%), China (17%), the United
Kingdom (13%), South Korea (10%) and the United States (10%)
made up the largest share of international Maori cultural tourists
(Figure 4).
Figure 4: Origin of International Maori Culture Tourists *1
Among domestic Maori cultural tourists, 25% were aged 35-44 years
and 55-64 years. Sixteen percent were aged 25-34 years and 45-54
years.
Figure 7: Age Profile of Maori Culture Tourists *1*2
Australia
19%
15-24 yrs
Rest of World
31%
25-34 yrs
35-44 yrs
45-54 yrs
55-64 yrs
65+yrs
30%
25%
20%
China
17%
15%
United States
10%
10%
5%
United Kingdom
13%
South Korea
10%
0%
International
International tourists with the highest propensity to participate in
Maori cultural activities were from China (65% of all Chinese
tourists), follwed by South Korea (52%), Germany (25%), Canada
(22%) and Taiwan (21%). Australian tourists had the lowest
propensity (8%) to participate in Maori cultural activities while in New
Zealand (Figure 5).
Figure 5: Propensity for Maori Cultural Activities by
International Market *1
Domestic
What are the travel styles of international Maori cultural
tourists?
Tour group travellers (29%) and semi-independent travellers (SITs,
29%) made up the largest shares of international Maori cultural
tourists. (Figure 18).
Seventy two percent of all tour group travellers participated in Maori
cultural activities while in New Zealand.
Figure 8: Travel Styles of International Maori Cultural Tourists *1
China
Package
traveller
20%
South Korea
Germany
Tour group
29%
Canada
Taiwan
United States
Japan
United Kingdom
FIT
23%
Singapore
Australia
SIT
29%
Rest of World
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
FIT: made and paid for all travel arrangements after arrival in New Zealand
SIT: made and paid for at least one travel arrangement before arrival in New Zealand
Domestic Maori cultural tourists were predominantly from five regions
– Auckland (39%), Waikato (15%), Bay of Plenty (14%), Wellington
(10%) and Hawke’s Bay (8%) (Figure 6).
Figure 6: Origin of Domestic Maori Culture Tourists *2
Rest of NZ
15%
Hawke's Bay
8%
Auckland
39%
Wellington
10%
Bay of Plenty
14%
Waikato
15%
What information do Maori cultural tourists seek before they
arrive?
Maori cultural tourists sought a range of information about a region
before they arrived. International tourists tended to do more research
than domestic tourists.
International Maori cultural tourists looked for information about
activities/attractions (71% of all international Maori cultural tourists),
followed by accommodation (62%), weather/climate (49%) and
people/culture (43%) (Figure 9). International Maori cultural tourists
were more likely to look for information on people/culture than all
internaitonal tourists.
Domestic Maori cultural tourists found out about accommodation
(56%), activities/attractions (49%), prices (38%) and transport (36%)
before they arrived in a region.
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TOURIST ACTIVITY | MAORI CULTURAL TOURISM
Figure 9: Information Sought by Maori Cultural Tourists *3
International
Figure 11: Maori Cultural Tourists by Group Size *1*2
Domestic
1
2
3
4
5+
40%
Activities/attractions
30%
Accommodation
Weather/climate
20%
People/culture
Prices
10%
Transport
0%
Geography
International
Domestic
None
Other
What are the main purposes of travel of Maori culture tourists?
0%
20%
40%
60%
80%
100%
What sources do Maori cultural tourists use to find information?
Maori cultural tourists used a range of sources to find out information
about a region.
Seventy seven percent of international Maori cultural tourists used
guide/travel books as a source of regional information, followed by
family/friends (50%) and other websites (47%) (Figure 10). Similar
sources of information were used by all international tourists.
Domestic Maori cultural tourists mainly used other websites (48%),
family/friends (43%) and guide/travel books (39%). Similar sources of
information were used by all domestic tourists.
Figure 10: Information Sources used by Maori Cultural Tourists
International
Tourists on holiday (82%) made up the largest share of international
Maori cultural tourists (Figure 12). This group also had the highest
propensity to participate in Maori cultural activities (29% of all
international holiday visitors) .
Domestic Maori cultural tourists were mainly on holiday (40%) or
visiting friends and family (32%).
Figure 12: Maori Cultural Tourists by Purpose of Travel *1*2
Holdiay
VFR
Business
Education
Other
100%
80%
60%
*3
Domestic
40%
20%
Guide/travel books
0%
International
Family/friends
Domestic
Other websites
What accommodation types do Maori culture tourists use?
newzealand.com
International Maori cultural tourists mainly stayed in hotels (69%
stayed in a hotel at some point on their trip), motels (28%) and
private accommodation (19%) (Figure 13).
Travel agents
i-SITEs/info centres
RTO websites
Domestic Maori cultural tourists mainly stayed in
accommodation (29%), motels (27%) and maraes (24%).
Magazines/newspapers
private
Other
Figure 13: Accommodation Used by Maori Cultural Tourists *1*2
0%
20%
40%
60%
80%
100%
International
Who do Maori cultural tourists travel with?
Twenty nine percent of international Maori cultural tourists travelled
in a tour group, compared to only 7% of all international tourists.
Twenty nine percent travelled their partner/spouse and 19% travelled
alone.
Domestic
Hotels
Motels
Private dwellings
Backpackers
Among domestic Maori cultural tourists, most travelled with family
(30%). Fifteen percent of domestic Maori cultural tourists travelled
with a school group, compared to only 3% of all domestic tourists..
These patterns were also reflected in the group size, where
international Maori cultural tourists mostly travelled in groups of two
(36%) and five or more (35%). Domestic Maori cultural tourists
mostly travelled in groups of five and more (34%) (Figure 11).
Hosted
Holiday parks
Marae
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
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TOURIST ACTIVITY | MAORI CULTURAL TOURISM
How long do international Maori culture tourists stay in New
Zealand?
International Maori cultural tourists stayed an average of 20 nights in
New Zealand. This is similar to all international tourists (21 nights).
Forty one percent of international Maori cultural tourists stayed in
New Zealand for seven days or less. The propensity to participate in
Maori cultural activities was highest for those that stayed 17-29
nights (23%) (Figure 14).
How satisfied are international Maori cultural tourists?
International tourists were highly satisfied with their Maori cultural
experiences. The average satisfaction rating for international tourists
was 8.5 out of 10 (Figure 16).
International tourists from Australia, UK/Ireland and USA/Canada
had the highest satisfaction ratings of 8.7
Figure 16: Satisfaction of International Maori Cultural Tourists *3
Figure 14: Length of Stay of International Maori Cultural Tourists *1
Average Satisfaction
10
Share
8.5
8.7
8.7
Overall
Australia
UK &
Ireland
Propensity
8.7
8.2
8.2
8.3
Asia
Rest of
World
8
30%
6
25%
4
20%
2
15%
0
10%
Continental
Europe
USA &
Canada
5%
0%
<5
5-7
8-10
11-13
14-16
Nights
17-19
20-29
30+
Table 1:
Trends in Maori Cultural Tourism, 2003-2008 *1*2
KEY INDICATORS
How much do international Maori culture tourists spend on their
trip to New Zealand?
International Maori cultural tourists spent more on average ($3,389
per trip) than all international tourists ($2,710 per trip). The average
spend per night of international Maori cultural tourists ($165 per
night) was also higher than all international tourists ($128 per night).
The propensity to participate in Maori cultural activities tended to
increase with total spend. Seventeen percent of international Maori
cultural tourists spent over $5,000 on their New Zealand trip. This
group also had the highest propensity (27%) to particpate in Maori
cultural activities while in New Zealand (Figure 15).
Figure 15: International Maori Cultural Tourist Spend *1
Share
Propensity
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
Total
552,000
482,100
557,400
626,900
529,200
477,000
International
360,000
423,100
471,800
449,100
422,000
361,600
Domestic
192,000
59,000
85,600
177,800
107,200
115,400
Maori cultural tourists
Propensity to particpate in Maori cultural activities
International
Domestic
18.9%
19.7%
21.5%
20.4%
18.8%
16.3%
0.4%
0.1%
0.2%
0.4%
0.3%
0.3%
The data may show volatility due to sample error and a greater emphais should be placed on general trends
than actual values.
Table 2:
Maori Cultural Tourists by Key Regions and Source
Markets *1*2
Top 5 International
Destination Regions
(RTOs)
Rotorua
Auckland
Canterbury
Northland
Queenstown
NZ
International
337,600
13,700
13,000
11,400
10,800
391,800
86%
3%
3%
3%
3%
100%
Rotorua
Waikato
Northland
Hawke's Bay
Eastland
NZ
43,100
12,400
10,500
8,900
8,000
122,800
35%
10%
9%
7%
7%
100%
Australia
China
Kingdom
73,500
68,400
49,700
% Share
Top 5 Domestic
Destination Regions
30%
(RTOs)
25%
Domestic
20%
% Share
15%
Top 5 International
Source Markets
10%
Tourists
5%
0%
Up to
500
501- 1001- 1501- 2001- 2501- 3001- 3501- 4001- 4501- 5000+
1000 1500 2000 2500 3000 3500 4000 4500 5000
Total Spend in NZ
United
South Korea United States
39,800
38,400
All
391,800
% Share
19%
17%
13%
10%
10%
100%
Propensity
8.4%
64.7%
18.9%
52.0%
20.4%
17.6%
Auckland
Waikato
Bay of Plenty
Wellington
Hawke's Bay
All
47,900
17,900
16,800
11,800
9,600
122,800
Top 5 Domestic Source
Markets (Regions)
Tourists
% Share
39%
15%
14%
10%
8%
100%
All references to spend exclude international airfares
Propensity
0.5%
0.3%
0.5%
0.2%
0.7%
0.3%
DATA SOURCES
*1
IVS: International Visitor Survey, www.tourismresearch.govt.nz/ivs
*2
DTS: Domestic Travel Survey, www.tourismresearch.govt.nz/dts
*3
RVM: Regional Visitor Monitor, www.tourismresearch.govt.nz/rvm
Note due to low sample sizes, the data for Figures 3-15 and Table 2 have been combined.
International data (2007-2008) and domestic data (2003-2008).
IMAGE CREDITS
Wellington Willis St (Positively Wellington Tourism), www.WellingtonNZ.com
Lake Taupo Lodge, www.laketaupolodge.co.nz
Cardrona Ski Field, www.cardrona.com
Southern Traverse (Michael Jacques), www.karapoti.co.nz
Wai-O-Tapu Champagne Pool (Destination Rotorua), www.rotoruaNZ.com
Maori Art Fence (Destination Rotorua Marketing), www.rotoruaNZ.com
This report is available on www.tourismresearch.govt.nz/actprofiles