1. What We Know of the Youth Market
Analysis of Core Tourism Statistics
Produced by Tourism New Zealand, Insights – March 2012

2. Key Findings
The youth sector generates $1.8 billion in tourism expenditure
60 per cent of the NZs youth market originate from Australia as either
Australians or visitors to Australia.
Youth travellers do more activities in New Zealand than all tourists
Over half of all youth tourists do some form of adventure tourism while in New Zealand
Youth tourists stay for longer periods of time in New Zealand than other tourists
Almost 80 per cent of youth are not backpackers

3. The Value of the Youth Market

4. Total Expenditure $1.8 billion1 Sample: 1,708
For the year ended March 2012 the youth market* generated $1.8 billion in tourism expenditure. This represents 32% of total international tourism expenditure in New Zealand.
Average Expenditure
In the year ended March 2012 the youth market* spent an average of $2,877 per trip to New Zealand. The average for all tourists is $2,360 or $517 less per trip than the youth market.
Length of Stay
For the year ended June 2012 the youth market* stayed for an average of 29.2 days in New Zealand. The average for all
visitors to New Zealand is 19.4 days.
$1.8 billion Sample: 1,708
$2,877 per trip1 Sample: 1,708
29.2 days2
*Includes 15 to 29 year olds
1International Visitor Survey – YE Mar 2012
2International Travel and Migration Statistics – YE Jun 2012

5. Holiday Expenditure $2,593 per trip1 Sample: 2,758 25.3 days2 21 days2
Average Expenditure
Over the last three years the youth holiday market* spent an average of $2,593 per trip to New Zealand. The average for all tourists over this period of time is $2,846, or $253 more per trip than the youth holiday segment.
Length of Stay
For the year ended June 2012 the youth holiday market* stayed for an average of 25.3 days in New Zealand. The average for all
holiday visitors to New Zealand is 16.1 days.
Length of Stay – Less Working Holiday Visa Tourists
For the year ended June 2012 the youth holiday market* less working holiday visa tourists stayed for an average of 21
days in New Zealand. The average for all holiday visitors less working holiday visas is 16 days.
$2,593 per trip Sample: 2,758
25.3 days2
21 days2
*Includes 15 to 29 year olds
1International Visitor Survey – Average of YE Mar 2010 to 2012
2International Travel and Migration Statistics – YE Jun 2012

6. Holiday Interaction Average Number of Regions Visited Youth 4.9
All 4.2
Average Number of Activities Done
Youth 11.9
All 10.5
International Visitor Survey – YE Dec (15 – 29 year olds)

7. Which Youth Markets Are The Most Valuable?

8. Youth Arrivals
International Travel and Migration Statistics – YE Dec 2011 (18 – 29 year olds)

9. Youth Total Stay Days
International Travel and Migration Statistics – YE Jun 2012 (18 – 29 year olds)

10. Pure Holiday Visitors
The graph above shows total stay days for the youth segment for pure holiday visitors. This is holiday visitors with all those arriving on a work visa removed from the data series.
*Australians do not need a visa to enter New Zealand so are not included within this segment
International Travel and Migration Statistics – YE Jun 2012 (18 – 29 year olds)

11. Growth
The graph above shows the long term growth of major youth markets. Markets that have seen strong annual growth over the last three years include Australia, Germany, France, Malaysia and China.
International Travel and Migration Statistics (15 – 29 year olds)

12. Major Youth Markets #1 Australia #2 UK #3 Germany #4 USA France
The top four youth markets based on arrivals and total stay days include:
#1 Australia
#2 UK
#3 Germany
#4 USA
Following this are:
France
Netherlands
Switzerland
Canada
Israel
Ireland
Sweden

13. Youth Profile

14. Purpose of Visit - Arrivals
The Youth segment has a higher share of holiday visitors than New Zealand’s average. Not surprisingly the youth segment is made up of less business and conference arrivals than average and more education arrivals.
Taking holiday arrivals only, the youth segment makes up 23% of New Zealand’s holiday arrivals.
International Travel and Migration Statistics – YE Jun 2012 (18 – 29 year olds)

15. Purpose of Visit – Total Stay Days
Holiday accounts for 45% of the youth segments days spent in New Zealand, which is more than the New Zealand average (39%).
The youth segment makes up 36% of New Zealand’s holiday total stay days. The youth holiday segment generates 7.1 million total stay days, which as a comparison is more than Australia which generates 5.1 million holiday total stay days.
International Travel and Migration Statistics – YE Jun 2012 (18 – 29 year olds)

16. Gender
Interestingly the Youth market is made up of slightly more females than males at present. This is the opposite to the New Zealand average which is slightly weighted in favour of male arrivals.
International Travel and Migration Statistics – YE Jun 2012 (18 – 29 year olds)

17. Travel Style Sample: 1,685 Sample: 5,194
The youth segment has fewer package and tour group travellers (7%) than the average for New Zealand (10%).
International Visitor Survey – YE Jun 2012 (15 – 29 year olds)

18. i-SITE Sample: 1,685 Sample: 5,194
Youth travellers (40%) are more likely to visit an i-SITE than the average for New Zealand (34%).
International Visitor Survey – YE Jun 2012 (15 – 29 year olds)

19. Backpackers Sample: 1,685 Sample: 5,194
Not surprisingly the youth segment has a higher ratio of backpackers (19%) than the average for New Zealand (8%).
Despite this difference between the groups, non-backpackers still make up the vast majority (81%) of the youth segment.
International Visitor Survey – YE Jun 2012 (15 – 29 year olds)

20. Accommodation Sample: 1,685 Sample: 5,194
The youth segment stays in less hotels and motels (29%) than the average for New Zealand (40%), and stays in more backpacker accommodation. However in terms of value, the youth segment also stays in less privately owned dwellings than the average for New Zealand.
Privately owned dwellings (26%) are the most common form of accommodation for youth to stay in, followed by hotels (19%)
and backpackers (17%).
International Visitor Survey – YE Jun 2012 (15 – 29 year olds)

21. Dual Destination Sample: 1,685 Sample: 5,194
The youth segment has a very similar number of dual destination arrivals as the New Zealand average.
International Visitor Survey – YE Mar 2012 (15 – 29 year olds)

22. People Travelled With Sample: 1,685 Sample: 5,194
Slightly more youth travel by themselves than the New Zealand average. Also youth are much more likely to travel with friends than the New Zealand average.
Half of all youth travellers travel by themselves, with the addition of 14 per cent that are travelling with friends this mean around 64 percent of youth are singles.
International Visitor Survey – YE Mar 2012 (15 – 29 year olds)

23. Activities and Attractions
This index shows firstly which activities youth travellers over index on compared to all tourists, and secondly the percent of youth travellers that undertake particular activities (see percent in brackets on y axis).
Youth travellers over index on a wide range of activities due to their propensity to do more activities while in New Zealand compared to all tourists. Youth travellers do 14.1 activities on average while in New Zealand vs activities on average for all tourists.
Of particular interest is the fact that youth travellers over index on adventure activities. Youth are almost three times more likely to go sky diving and bungy jumping than regular tourists, and are twice as likely to do snow sports, caving, rafting, horse trekking and climbing per cent of youth travellers do some form of adventure tourism while in New Zealand where only 32.9 per cent of all tourists do some form of adventure tourism.
Sample: 5,350
International Visitor Survey – YE Mar (15 – 29 year olds)

24. Regional Visitation Sample: 1,685
The youth market generally has a similar regional visitation profile as all visitors. Two clear differences are that youth generally visit more regions than average and also youth are slightly less likely to visit Auckland than all visitors.
International Visitor Survey – YE Mar 2012 (15 – 29 year olds)

25. Queenstown
As part of a separate analysis it was found international tourists that visit Queenstown were highly over-represented by youth travellers.
International Visitor Survey – YE Dec 2011
International Travel and Migration Survey – YE Dec 2011

26. Age of Australian Ski Market
The ski market is much younger than the total of all Australian holiday tourists. Almost two thirds of the Australian ski market are aged between 15 and 34.
Source: International Visitor Survey: YE March 09 to 12

27. Australia as a Source Market

28. Arrive in New Zealand after visiting and spending time in Australia
Australia As A Source Market
532,869
Total Youth Arrivals
311,223
221,646
Non Australian Residents
Australian Residents*
95,234
Arrive in New Zealand after visiting and spending time in Australia
60% of the youth market originate from Australia as either Australians or visitors to Australia.
*Australian Residents are classed in NZ arrivals as people that have lived in Australia for 12 months or more

29. Australia as a Source Market
532,869
Total Youth Arrivals
Australian Residents*
221,646
42% of total youth
123,645
70,320
28,061
Australian Residents and Australian Citizens
Australian Residents but NZ Citizens
Australian Residents but not Aust or NZ Citizens
23% of total youth
13% of total youth
5% of total youth
*Australian Residents are classed in NZ arrivals as people that have lived in Australia for 12 months or more

30. Australia as a Source Market
Growth in Australian arrivals over the last two years has been largely driven by New Zealanders returning home to New Zealand. In 2011 there was a 15.3% increase in New Zealand citizens returning to New Zealand. In comparison there was a 0.9% decrease in Australian citizens visiting New Zealand.
*Australian Residents are classed in NZ arrivals as people that have lived in Australia for 12 months or more