Tourism Export Council New Zealand

Chinese Language in New Zealand Secondary Schools

13 October 2015

2

Founded 1971 – Private sector 50 Inbound tour operator members (ITOs) 1300 Allied member ‘product suppliers’ Commercially focused – Business 2 Business

Tourism Export Council who are we, what do we do?

Promotes & sells your product outside NZ TECNZ “buys” your product in NZ

TNZPromotes New

Zealand  

RTO’sPromotes your region in New Zealand and

internationally

TIANZShares

information

Advocacy

Business tools

QualmarkA business assessment

system & mark of quality

Why is tourism considered an export industry?

Tourism, like agriculture is an export sector industry but works slightly differently:

• The product is still developed in New Zealand (just like the apple)• It is sold offshore (like the apple)• It is purchased by a consumer in an offshore market (again like the apple)• BUT it is experienced in New Zealand and therein lies the difference

IRDs definition of ‘export’ is a non-resident who purchases a product or service from New Zealand

NZ Top Export Sectors

Source: Tourism Satellite Account 2014

Note: Up until 2009, Tourism was the number 1 export sector for New Zealand

Country YE Arrivals % change % Holiday Hol LOS – Length of stay

Australia 1,294,272 + 4.5% 3.9% 11.3 China 320,432 + 30.4% 33.9% 8.3 USA 236,272 + 11.2% 13.8% 13.9 UK 199,248 + 2.9% 9.7% 27.8 Japan 83,984 + 8.1% 13.3% 10.0

Germany 81,424 + 7.0% 9.1% 48.2 South Korea 60,736 + 13.6% 21.4% 12.2 Canada 51,248 + 5.4% 3.5% 23.6 India 43,392 +24.9% 23.4% 14.4 Singapore 47,520 +6.1% 11.2% 12.6 Malaysia 32,608 +9.0% 10.1% 15.3

NZ Market Trends August 2015

Source: Statistics NZ, Tourism NZ, YE August 2015 International Visitor Arrivals

China Infographics

320,000

285,000 8.3

Visitor numbers2015

320,000Total

285,00holiday

Expected 570,000 by 2020 if not

sooner

China activities

Why do we need to teach Mandarin in schools?

• Chinese visitors are more confident to travel• More are coming and we need to deliver a quality

experience – language basics and understanding of their culture very important

• The industry is struggling to get Mandarin speaking staff in key frontline roles

Most important languages

China visa applications

2013 % 2014 % 2015 % % change 14 vs 15

General Visitor Visa (GVV) 5,803 33% 7,820 46% 11,345 49% +45%

ADS 11,822 67% 9,340 54% 11,874 51% +27%

TOTAL 17,625 17,160 23,219 +35%

Highlights for September 2015:

• Continued strong growth in the volume of General Visitor (GV) with ADS visa volumes having returned to September 2013 levels.   • YOY 35% increase in number of approved GVV/ADS visitor visa pax. This suggests that the rapid growth seen in the number of Chinese visitor arrivals during recent months is set to continue.

GVV is individual visa application – takes longer and more expensiveADS is a group visa – quicker application and cheaper

Immigration information

Visitor visas• Aug 2014 - International student visas

online. • Tourism General Visitor Visas (GVV)

online will follow student online• Student cross border visa like CWC• Chinese version of online mid 2015 but

have to answer in English• Multiple 24 month re-entry visa for

Chinese visitors• E visa will replace paper visa in next 18

months• ADS and GVV visa applications continue

to grow

Employee visas• Special Chinese work visa for

tour guides• China WHV (working holiday

visa) extended 3 months – 6 months

• China WHV proposal to change from 1000 – 5000 like Australia

• Challenges re changes to FTA re time delays

• Queenstown employee exemption from LMC – Labour Market Check

Tourism as a valued career• NZ Chinese do not want to work in tourism as seen as low paid, not a valued

career (same issue as NZ’s)• Government says increase in migrant visas are taking ‘kiwi jobs’• MBIE and industry looking at strategies to promote ‘tourism as a valued

career’• Short term migrant visa approval but we have been warned• Medium – long term we need to upskill NZ students to learn Mandarin and be

more employable in T & H roles• Secondary schools should promote learning Mandarin and look at tourism as

a valued career path for students