Summer looking 'very positive' for Tourism Holdings

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Campervan operator Tourism Holdings is planning for a further boost this summer as the travel industry continues to recover.

The company said more tourists from the United States were expected to lift demand in the peak holiday period, but demand from Asia was slower because of limited airline services.

However, it said it was feeling more positive about Asia as carriers such as China Southern were now operating in both Auckland and Christchurch.

Despite the softer Asian market, chief executive Grant Webster was confident tourism will provide an economic boost this summer.

“This summer is looking very positive. We’re seeing New Zealanders travel overseas, which is fine, but New Zealanders are still travelling in New Zealand. But more importantly, that international market is travelling around New Zealand,” he said.

“[We’re expecting] a year-on-year improvement on last year for this summer – on a total capacity basis – a lot more coming out of the US.”

Webster said a slowdown in the global economy was yet to impact business.

“We know people are feeling the pinch.

“But we’ve seen that people are prioritising travel, so if they did need to, or had a desire to do another house upgrade or [buy new] whiteware or whatever … they’re definitely deferring it in favour of travel.”

Webster said people were catching up on missed travel due to border restrictions during Covid “but also realising how important that opportunity [to travel] is”.