Rotorua Tourism
Key Facts and Figures
For the year ending December 2010 the Tourism Strategy Group of the Ministry of Tourism estimates there were 3.2 million visitor arrivals to Rotorua, who collectively are estimated to have spent $551 million during their stay in Rotorua.
Of the 3.2 million visitor arrivals to Rotorua there were 1.5 million overnight visitors who collectively stayed 3.4 million visitor nights in Rotorua, which is equivalent to an average of 2.2 nights per overnight visitor. The average length of stay for international visitors was 2.1 nights, while for domestic visitors it was 2.3 nights.
Auckland is Rotorua's single largest source market – it accounts for approximately 25% of total visitor days (ie. visitor nights plus day visitors). Other key domestic markets for Rotorua are Bay of Plenty and Waikato.
Australia is Rotorua's largest international market – it accounts for approximately 7% of total visitor days. Other key international markets for Rotorua are United Kingdom, USA, South Korea, Germany, China and Japan.
Visitor Origin |
Visitor Expenditure |
Total Visitors |
Day |
Overnight Visitors |
Length |
Visitor Nights |
Auckland |
|
688,000 |
275,000 |
413,000 |
2.4 nights |
1,002,000 |
Waikato |
|
658,000 |
500,000 |
158,000 |
1.9 nights |
296,000 |
Bay of Plenty |
|
652,000 |
577,000 |
75,000 |
2.1 nights |
161,000 |
Wellington |
|
120,000 |
48,000 |
72,000 |
2.2 nights |
159,000 |
Other NZ regions |
|
273,000 |
112,000 |
161,000 |
2.5 nights |
399,000 |
Total Domestic |
$295 million |
2,391,000 |
1,512,000 |
879,000 |
2.3 nights |
2,017,000 |
|
||||||
Australia |
|
237,000 |
56,000 |
181,000 |
1.8 nights |
335,000 |
United Kingdom |
|
106,000 |
22,000 |
84,000 |
2.7 nights |
227,000 |
USA |
|
67,000 |
17,000 |
50,000 |
2.2 nights |
111,000 |
South Korea |
|
60,000 |
5,000 |
55,000 |
1.8 nights |
99,000 |
Germany |
|
40,000 |
5,000 |
35,000 |
2.6 nights |
91,000 |
China |
|
74,000 |
7,000 |
67,000 |
1.2 nights |
81,000 |
Japan |
|
22,000 |
6,000 |
16,000 |
3.6 nights |
57,000 |
Other Countries |
|
218,000 |
43,000 |
175,000 |
2.4 nights |
420,000 |
Total International |
$256 million |
824,000 |
161,000 |
663,000 |
2.1 nights |
1,421,000 |
|
||||||
TOTAL |
$551 million |
3,215,000 |
1,673,000 |
1,542,000 |
2.2 nights |
3,438,000 |
Source: Tourism Strategy Group, Ministry of Economic Development - NZ Regional Tourism Forecasts 2010-2016
Economic Benefit of Tourism
The Rotorua region was a case study region in the Enhancing the Economic and Financial Yield of Tourism research programme (otherwise known as the Yield Research Programme). This research focused on financial yields for firms, economic yield across government agencies, yields generated by different tourist types and provided insights into social and environmental considerations. The Yield Research Programme was undertaken by Lincoln University in partnership with the Tourism Strategy Group of the Ministry Economic Development and the Tourism Industry Association, with support from Tourism New Zealand.
Download the full set of Yield Research Programme reports
Rotorua Visitor Monitors
Rotorua has a number of visitor activity monitors that are freely available for download and subscription as indicated below:
Rotorua Tourism in Focus (RTIF)
A monthly report compiled by Destination Rotorua Marketing which provides a national overview and consolidates the Rotorua specific monitors into one place.
Download PDF
Subscribe
Rotorua Commercial Accommodation Monitor (CAM)
This is a monthly report compiled by Statistics New Zealand giving a detailed analysis of the commercial accommodation sector in Rotorua by type of accommodation.
Download PDF
Subscribe
Rotorua Private Homes Monitor (PHM)
This is a monthly report compiled by APR Consultants giving a detailed analysis of visitors staying with friends and family in the private homes of Rotorua residents.
Download PDF
Subscribe
Rotorua Regional Visitor Monitor (RVM)
Compiled quarterly by Angus and Associates, the Regional Visitor Monitor (RVM) is managed by the Ministry of Tourism in conjunction with Tourism New Zealand and six regional tourism organizations - it provides seasonal 'snapshots' of visitors' experiences.
Download PDF
Subscribe
Rotorua Attraction & Activities Monitor (RAAM)
A report compiled monthly by APR Consultants for the purposes of providing an attraction and activities specific benchmark for the 28 attraction and activities operators that participate in the monitor. This monitor is not publicly available, as it is primarily for the benefit of those operators that contribute the data, however a summarised version is available in the monthly Rotorua Tourism in Focus report.
Rotorua Art and History Museum
Tourism has been a major focus of the Rotorua community since the 1830s when the first Europeans arrived in Rotorua and Maori recognised the economic opportunities from hosting these European visitors in their homes, guiding them around the natural attractions and entertaining them with kapa haka performances. In 1908 the New Zealand government celebrated its first major tourism investment with the opening of the Tudor-style Bath House in Rotorua. Known as the ‘Great South Seas Spa', the building was administered by the Department of Tourist and Health Resorts until 1947 when all spa treatments were transferred to nearby Queen Elizabeth Hospital. Today the building has been restored and houses Rotorua's Art and History Museum. Given the building's early history with tourism, both the museum and its website are a rich source of historic information on the tourism industry in Rotorua.
Visit Rotorua Art and History Museum website
Waiariki Institute of Technology
Waiariki Institute of Technology offers a range of learning opportunities within the tourism and hospitality industry from hobby through to degree level. To support their students, the library has one of the most extensive collections of tourism publications available in New Zealand. Although only students may borrow library items, the library catalogue is publicly available from the Waiariki website and the public are welcome to visit the library to view publications on-site and make photocopies as desired.
