Tourism Data Leadership Group sector update – November 2023

What has the Tourism Data Leadership Group been up to?

Following the release of the Interim Action Plan, the Tourism Data Leadership Group (TDLG/Group) is aware that you’re keen to hear more about what they’ve been doing!

They’re pleased to share the following update – this will be the first of many. 

This update covers:

• The 4 near-term priority actions (rationale is provided in the above-mentioned plan):

1. A Community Sentiment Survey
2. Domestic Tourism Measures
3. Regenerative Tourism Measures
4. Māori and Tourism Data

• The upcoming Strategic Business Plan
• Potential opportunities for sector funding

What work is underway on the 4 near-term priority actions?

Community Sentiment Survey

Following the TDLG’s identification of desired outcomes for such a product (for example, the provision of regional data), the TDLG and the Secretariat has been engaging with Tourism New Zealand, Tourism Industry Aotearoa, and the Department of Conservation regarding previous and current community sentiment survey products. Following this engagement, these current tools are now under consideration by the TDLG as to whether they would meet the sector’s needs (particularly at a regional level). Work is also underway to identify if it would be possible to implement any necessary changes to deliver on the TDLG’s desired outcomes in a way that regional tourism organisations also align with. We hope a solution is not too far away. The Group will provide an update on this work in the new year.

Domestic Tourism Measures

The TDLG (through the Ministry of Business, Innovation & Employment) expects to issue an Expression of Interest (EOI)/Registration of Interest (ROI) prior to Christmas. The ROI is expected to be broad, the scope of which is being on worked on currently. There are some obvious data gaps (for example, a domestic visitor survey), but the TDLG are also keen to consider innovative ways of collecting data, with a view to filling data gaps and/or doing things differently (for example, introducing some real-time data).

Regenerative Tourism Data

Leveraging their collective knowledge of international practices, a sub-group of the TDLG have been developing a regenerative tourism data framework. The framework considers economic, community, environment, visitor and cultural measures at national, regional/local and business levels. The framework and possible measurement approaches will be tested and refined with regenerative tourism measurement experts in November. Before priority measures are developed and implemented the TDLG will engage with the sector. It is anticipated that this will happen early in 2024.

Māori and tourism

At a high-level the TDLG has been engaging with:

• Te Mana Raraunga
• MBIE’s Raraunga Matihiko Māori team
• New Zealand Māori Tourism
• others who support work to be designed or undertaken by and for Māori.

It is anticipated that one or more formal partnership agreements will come out of these engagements. In the meantime, these conversations are helping the Group develop a Mauitanga-based narrative for their work which they look to sharing with the sector soon.

Further, some engagement has been had with small operators to understand what problems they’d like solved. This formative relationship development is shaping thoughts on how existing and new data may be presented in a way that works for Māori and Māori businesses. A broader research piece (as per the Initial Report) to establish data needs will be scoped in the new year.

What is the Strategic Business Plan that the Group will be consulting on?

The Strategic Business Plan will be the culmination of the Group’s thinking and work to date, bringing together the Group’s understanding of sector needs, as well as delivering on the requirements of the Terms of Reference.

Terms of Reference

The draft version of the Strategic Business Plan will incorporate a roadmap of actions, a prioritisation framework, as well as identification of how TDLG money will be spent.

Public consultation early in 2024 will provide the sector with a final opportunity to shape the Group’s Plan.

Will there be for potential opportunities for sector funding?

The TDLG are eager to make progress and to confirm funding arrangements as soon as possible. We are mindful of the opportunity that the funding available to the Group provides, and of the need to leverage this funding to develop a sustainable model.

They’re actively considering the possibility of introducing a Partnership Fund or similar process for receiving and assessing proposals which bring contributions (financial, and/or in-kind) from within and across the sector. This is in the early stages of consideration. They will provide an update on progress after Christmas.