By Dave Beeche, CEO, RealNZ
Dave Beeche, CEO, RealNZ believes rolling up sleeves to restore and protect the essence of the Kiwi tourism experience – our incredible environment – is central to doubling tourism value to $19.8 billion over the next decade. He shares his views in this Partner Perspective.
It’s a common misconception that New Zealand’s tourism sector is at risk of becoming “broken” if visitor numbers grow significantly. Yes, the sector needs to evolve but that simply means managing visitor flows better, addressing traffic and infrastructure challenges, ensuring international visitor levies are invested and continuing to improve the overall tourism experience.
If we focus on achieving well-managed growth, and we get that right, tourism will strengthen jobs, the economy, communities, and most importantly, our environment that attracts so many people here from around the world, every day.
And by growth, I don’t see Queenstown heading down the path of a Barcelona backlash. But tensions between visitors to Barcelona and locals further highlights the need for smart management and a greater recognition of regional nuances.
Yes, Queenstown is under more pressure than other areas, and yes, infrastructure like traffic, parking, and visitor flows needs work. But these are solvable challenges. With the right investment and long-term planning, we can model tourism as a true partnership between visitors, communities, and nature.
And if we look globally, the opportunity for New Zealand couldn’t be clearer.
Travellers are increasingly seeking authentic, sustainable, nature-positive experiences. That’s where New Zealand has a natural advantage. If we double down on sustainability and lean into what makes us unique, we can continue to meet global expectations and differentiate ourselves as a tourism leader.
Sustainability isn’t just our responsibility; it’s also our competitive edge. And while most tourism operators understand that - the faster we can reduce environmental impacts, the sooner – and more authentically - we’ll create a truly resilient sector.
Making that shift requires continued investment, strong governance, and collaboration across the sector, but it’s a shift we can and must accelerate if we want to keep building our global brand, differentiating ourselves from other markets and growing our economy.
These connections are something RealNZ has understood for decades. We have a 70-year commitment to the environment – it’s always been a guiding principle. Our business couldn’t exist without healthy ecosystems, which is true across the entire sector.
Through a partnership with the Department of Conservation we’re helping maintain stoat and rat traps on Cooper Island in Dusky Sound. The goal is to reverse the silence created after millions of birds were wiped out by predators, with birdsong.
Cutting tracks and establishing more than 360 stoat traps and nearly 300 rat traps has been a massive undertaking, but the results are encouraging. DOC recently confirmed there are now no stoats on the island. That opens the door for the return of species like the little spotted kiwi and kākāpō.
But with around 600 species at risk in New Zealand, and most Kiwis believing our environment is in a healthy state, there is a lot to be done. For the team and I, being able to say we’re helping, has been one of my most rewarding experiences to date.
And for me, that’s the future of tourism: an industry that doesn’t just rely on nature but actively protects and enhances it for generations to come.
