Context and risk
As previously noted, the roadmap provides a high-level view of the TDLG’s recommendations and priorities for the tourism data system over the next 2 years.
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In preparing this roadmap, it should be noted that:
- under the Terms of Reference, the TDLG:
- is an independent advisory board, and it does not have legally binding decision-making powers
- will not prescribe research agendas for individual agencies and organisations
- there are significant implications for MBIE. MBIE have had input into the roadmap but are not currently resourced to deliver all the identified recommendations (such resourcing (both Secretariat resourcing to support procurement activities, and data scientist resource to support data accessibility) would need to be supported by the IVL allocation. The TDLG are supportive of this, with the end goal being their vision for a more fit-for-purpose central repository for tourism data, and greater storytelling).
Given dependencies on MBIE and other agencies and organisations, the actions, and timelines (including possible deliverables) in the roadmap are indicative only. While there is a strong intent for work to happen at identified times, there will be factors outside the TDLG’s and MBIE’s control that may impact the timing and delivery of initiatives in the roadmap. At a minimum, the TDLG recommend the order/priority of the actions is maintained. Recommendations have been staggered so MBIE can sustainably manage new work coming into the agency.
It should be noted that not all recommendations proposed in the Data Domain Plan are able to be included in the two-year roadmap. This was always a possibility given the extent of the recommendations, the resourcing needed to deliver on them, and the limited IVL pool alone. Some initiatives which could be expected to be delivered from 2026 on (once foundations are in place) are:
- A productivity measure for the sector (an outcome of the New Zealand-Aotearoa Government Tourism Strategy(external link)). This has not been included in the two- year road map due to conceptual and measurement challenges with developing appropriate productivity statistics for a service-intensive sector like tourism. Standard measures of productivity are problematic given the complexity of tourism as a sector with diverse enterprises and firms providing a range of goods and services of varying quality to a multitude of consumers.
- Other tourism business and workforce measures, such as workforce skills, and business benchmarking. While the Group do not explicitly address these gaps in the two-year roadmap, opportunities exist for business and workforce data to be delivered across 2024 and 2025. For example:
- priority Māori tourism data needs (which will be established in 2024), may identify Māori business and workforce data as a priority data gap (again, a small amount of funds are proposed to be available to support this).
- the framework being developed (in 2024) to support the measurement of sustainable and regenerative tourism, may identify some business data as a priority gap (again, a small amount of funds are proposed to be available to support this).
- Domestic forecasting – this will be reliant on a range of information, including potentially the domestic tourism measures which are recommended to be commissioned from 2024 on. Until time-series data is available, domestic forecasting won’t be enabled.
Additionally, with the two-year roadmap focusing on the provision of foundational data, research has not been able to be prioritised in the immediate term. The Group however recognise that research (especially that which is more future focused) is critical to the effective functioning of the tourism system. It is anticipated that such work would be undertaken in the future,
The Group have plans to refresh the roadmap before the beginning of 2025 (when new governance arrangements are recommended to be in place). By this time, there will be greater certainty over resourcing, structure and data needs.