Beautiful Virgin Islands

Friday, May 09, 2025

New Zealand needs wealthy visitors not 'noodle-eating backpackers', says Ardern's tourism minister

New Zealand needs wealthy visitors not 'noodle-eating backpackers', says Ardern's tourism minister

The remarks have been condemned as out of touch and elitist

Jacinda Ardern’s tourism minister said the country should be targeting wealthy holidaymakers to New Zealand at the expense of “dried noodle” eating backpackers.

As the country’s beleaguered tourism industry reopens following one of the world’s longest Covid border closures, Stuart Nash explained what type of holidaymaker he wants to welcome into the country.

He said the country is seeking “high quality” foreign tourists who have big money to spend over those on a shoestring budget who won’t pump money into the economy.

Instead he preferred to see New Zealand as one of the top three aspirational destinations for the “world’s most discerning travellers”.

Addressing the Tourism Export Council of New Zealand in Nelson, Mr Nash said: “In terms of targeting our marketing spin it is unashamedly going to be at these high quality tourists.”


Views condemned as ‘elitist’

Backpackers might be welcome, he acknowledged, but his department is not actively targeting “the guys who jump in a campervan and make a Facebook video about how they can get around our country on $10 a day by eating dried noodles”.

“That’s not who we are targeting in this day and age of social media, we can be a lot more targeted in our advertising,” he explained later in an interview with Stuff.co.nz.

The tourism minister’s remarks have been condemned as out of touch, with at least one commentator labelling his views as elitist.

Another critic tweeted: “Poor, working class not welcome.”

It is not the first time Mr Nash has courted controversy.

Two years ago he made it clear that New Zealand was “unashamedly” interested in the super wealthy such as the tourist who “flies business class or premium economy, hires a helicopter, does a tour round Franz Josef (the country’s steepest glacier) and then eats at a high end restaurant”.


Tourism crucial for economic recovery

In reality lower income, long-term visitors to New Zealand, including backpackers and foreign students, often spend more than their rich counterparts because they have longer stints in the country. Many also make return trips.

Even cruise ship passengers, who represent 9 per cent of the country’s visitors, only account for 3 per cent of tourist spending, according to researchers.

As New Zealand emerges from about a year of self-imposed isolation owing to pandemic restrictions, the return of the country’s tourism industry will play a key economic role.

International borders were only fully opened at the beginning of this month, allowing free and unfettered entry to foreign travellers.

Tourism generates nearly 10 per cent of New Zealand’s gross national product and while Mr Nash’s comments might upset some, many of his fellow countrymen would prefer fewer visitors, if only to protect their ecologically sensitive environment.
Newsletter

Related Articles

Beautiful Virgin Islands
0:00
0:00
Close
Historic Papal Conclave Set to Commence in Rome
Huge Copper, Gold, and Silver Discovery in Argentina and Chile — But the Profits Go Abroad
Prince Harry is pleading for reconciliation — but the royals are just as sick of his victimhood as everyone else
The Road to Freedom: She Protested Putin, Escaped House Arrest, and Survived a 2,800-Kilometer Journey
OpenAI's Flip-Flop: No Longer Going Commercial, Back to Nonprofit, After Musk Lawsuit and Backlash
“Trump Supporter” Aims to Bring a MAGA-Style Shift to Romania
First From China: Zhao Xintong Wins the Snooker World Championship
Nvidia Faces Billion-Dollar Losses – Warns: China Is on Its Way to Becoming an AI Superpower
Trump Rules Out Third Term, Names JD Vance and Marco Rubio as Potential Successors
Mexico Says ‘No’ to U.S. Troops: President Sheinbaum Rejects Trump’s Offer to Fight Cartels
Nigel Farage’s Reform UK Storms the Map, Wrecking the Two-Party Monopoly
DOGE: Reimagining Government Operations with AI
Common Sense Returns to Britain's Legal System: UK Supreme Court Declares a Woman Is… a Woman
Beijing Says U.S. Is ‘Reaching Out’ for Tariff Talks Amid Soaring Trade Tensions
U.K. Court Rejects Prince Harry’s Final Appeal Over Police Security
Prince Harry’s Heartfelt Outburst Rocks the Royal Family
Trump Shares AI-Generated Image of Himself as… Pope, Prompting Outrage Reaction
Transgender Swimmer Secures Five Gold Medals at U.S. Masters Championship
Prince Harry: “I Want Reconciliation with My Family”
Germany's Alternative für Deutschland (AfD) party has now been officially labeled “right-wing extremist” by the federal office for the so-called “protection of the constitution.”
Amazon Launches Satellite Internet Service Amidst Competition with SpaceX
Transformative Changes in Women's Wrestling: The Rise of WWE Superstars
The Rush to the White Gold: Global Investment Surge in Natural Hydrogen Exploration
This is a day in Spain without electricity and internet
Reform UK Surprises in British Elections, Challenging Traditional Two-Party System
180-Year-Old Christian University in South Carolina Announces Closure Due to Unmet $6 Million Fundraising Goal
Brazilian Woman Jailed for Fourteen Years for Writing “You Lost, Idiot” on Statue During Protest
Trump Administration Removes National Security Adviser Mike Waltz Amid Signal Chat Controversy
Dutch Politician Eva Vlaardingerbroek Receives Spyware Threat Alert from Apple
Paramount Board Considers Settlement in Trump’s $20 Billion Lawsuit Over "60 Minutes" Interview
U.S. Economy Shrink in Trump’s First Quarter as Tariff Policy Raises Questions
Deadline Looms for RTS Meter Replacement: Hundreds of Thousands at Risk of Heating Disruption
Sweden Grapples with Deadly Gun Violence: Suspect Arrested After Three Young Men Killed in Uppsala Hair Salon
Walz Reveals Why Harris Chose Him as Her Running Mate and Reflects on Democratic Losses
Spain Restores Power After Unprecedented Nationwide Blackout
Carney Secures Liberal Mandate in Canada’s Federal Election
Death Penalty Sought as Luigi Manion Pleads Not Guilty in CEO Murder Case
President Trump contacts Jeff Bezos after reports of Amazon considering listing tariff surcharges; company clarifies no such plan for main platform
Spain and Portugal Recover from Massive Blackout
Liverpool Clinches Record-Equalling 20th English League Title Under Arne Slot
Singapore Politicians Warn Against Foreign Interference in Election
Driver Ploughs into Vancouver Festival Crowd, Killing Nine
Depression, Fear of Defamation, and a Tragic End: New Details on Virginia Giuffre’s Suicide
“Sharia for UK, Allah Akbar!”
Massive Explosion at Iran's Bandar Abbas Port Linked to Suspicious Chemical Shipments
Incident Reflection: A Harsh Reality Check
Pakistani migrants to Danish man: “ “We have 5 children while you have 1 or 2. In 10 years, there will be more Pakistanis than Danes here.“
Clashes Erupt in London as Tensions Rise Between Indian and Pakistani Communities
Specialized anti-drone weapons deployed among security personnel Ahead of Papal Funeral
How do you fix this culture?
×