Flight Centre Travel Group and Tourism New Zealand Forge Partnership to Boost Year-Round Travel

What's Happening?

Flight Centre Travel Group and Tourism New Zealand have announced a three-year global leisure travel partnership aimed at promoting New Zealand as a premier holiday destination. This collaboration targets four key markets: Australia, the United Kingdom, Canada, and South Africa. The partnership focuses on leveraging Flight Centre's global brand assets to drive inquiries and increase visitor numbers, particularly during off-peak seasons. According to James Kavanagh, CEO of FCTG Global Leisure, New Zealand ranks among the top five destinations for Flight Centre's flagship leisure brand across three key markets. The initiative seeks to eliminate seasonal travel divides and position New Zealand as a year-round destination, offering diverse product offerings to enhance customer choice and convenience.

Why It's Important?

This partnership is significant as it aims to strategically increase tourism in New Zealand, a country experiencing a growth in holiday arrivals at nearly 13% compared to the previous year. By tapping into Flight Centre's extensive customer network, Tourism New Zealand hopes to drive sustained growth in visitor numbers. The collaboration is expected to attract travelers who stay longer, spend more, and book earlier, thus contributing positively to New Zealand's tourism economy. Additionally, increasing international air capacity to New Zealand is crucial for meeting the growing demand and achieving ambitious growth targets, which could lead to more competitive pricing and greater consumer options.

What's Next?

The partnership will focus on enhancing international air capacity to New Zealand, currently at 89% of 2019 levels, to accommodate the anticipated increase in demand. As additional carriers enter the market, consumers may benefit from greater options and price competition. Both Flight Centre and Tourism New Zealand will continue to develop and promote unique travel offerings to attract visitors throughout the year, potentially leading to a more balanced distribution of tourist arrivals and economic benefits across different seasons.