Who will serve the tourists of today, let alone tomorrow? A wake-up call for tourism, hospitality

Abstract

International tourism injected $16.9 billion into the New Zealand economy in the year to March 2024. Total tourism expenditure has hit a record-breaking $44.4 billion, up nearly 15% from the previous year. The Government has responded with a $13.5 million global marketing boost, and business groups are celebrating. Yes, we want more tourists. But before we pop the champagne, there is one not-so-small matter that we need to talk about: Who is going to serve all these visitors? Because despite the financial fireworks, there's a deep and growing issue at the core of our industry—the people. More specifically, the fast-disappearing pipeline of skilled, passionate people willing to work, grow, and lead in this sector. We struggle to get enough staff to serve the present tourist numbers, let alone grow tourism numbers.