Latest news with #CushlaTangaere-Manuel
Yahoo
18-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
'Everyone must go': New Zealand's tourism drive draws ire
Depending on how you read it, New Zealand's latest tourism tagline can be a well-meaning plea for people to visit - or a threat to kick Kiwis out. "Everyone Must Go!" reads a slogan printed across posters of people in New Zealand's majestic landscapes - part of a NZ$500,000 ($285,000; £227,000) campaign unveiled on Sunday. But what was meant as a catchy call to action aimed at Australian tourists has been accused of being tone-deaf, as New Zealand deals with record emigration rates and unemployment. The government has defended the campaign, with Prime Minister Christopher Luxon saying he "[appreciates] there's lots of chat about whether everyone loves the slogan or not". "The fact that we're talking about it is a good thing. It's a great thing," he added. Cushla Tangaere-Manuel, tourism spokesperson for the opposition Labour Party, told local news outlet Radio New Zealand (RNZ) that the new slogan "makes New Zealand sound like we're in a clearance bin at a sale". "The irony of that messaging is, that's how Aotearoa New Zealanders are feeling right now," she said, pointing to the "many cuts" that residents have experienced. Job cuts to the public sector over the past year, as part of the government's austerity push, have affected thousands of people. Meanwhile, people are moving out of the country in record numbers. Official figures show that there were nearly 130,000 departures last year - though that was offset by the arrival of nearly 160,000 immigrants. "New Zealanders are voting with their feet, leaving in record high numbers," Labour MP Barbara Edmonds wrote on X on Monday. "Is their real tourism plan 'Everyone Must Go' - for Kiwis?" Others associated the slogan with demand for lavatories. "I think 'Everyone Must Go' might refer to the need for toilets in some of our high-tourist spots. I mean, the queues are ridiculous," Green Party MP Celia Wade-Brown told RNZ. "They don't go kayaking, they don't go diving, but, my goodness, they queue at the toilets." Tourism minister Louise Upston said in a statement on Sunday that "the campaign tagline of 'Everyone must go' lets Australia know that New Zealand is a 'must visit' destination, and that we're ready and waiting to welcome them now". New Zealand's tourism numbers have yet to bounce back to pre-pandemic levels, and authorities are channelling efforts into attracting visitors from neighbouring Australia, its largest source of tourists. Last year, New Zealand welcomed more than 1.2 million visitors from Australia. But Upston said visitors numbers were only 88% of that in 2019. Luxon said he hoped the latest campaign would boost Australian visitor numbers by 5%. "It would be totally and utterly tragic if those Australians don't get here before they do die," he said. The month-long tourism campaign is set to start on Thursday.
BBC News
18-02-2025
- Politics
- BBC News
'Everyone must go': New Zealand's tourism drive draws ire
Depending on how you read it, New Zealand's latest tourism tagline can be a well-meaning plea for people to visit - or a threat to kick Kiwis out."Everyone Must Go!" reads a slogan printed across posters of people in New Zealand's majestic landscapes - part of a NZ$500,000 ($285,000; £227,000) campaign unveiled on what was meant as a catchy call to action, aimed at Australian tourists, has been accused of being tone-deaf, as New Zealand deals with record emigration rates and government has defended the campaign, with Prime Minister Christopher Luxon saying on Tuesday that he that "[appreciates] there's lots of chat about whether everyone loves the slogan or not". But, he adds, "the fact that we're talking about it is a good thing. It's a great thing."Cushla Tangaere-Manuel, tourism spokesperson for the opposition Labour Party, told local news outlet RNZ that the new slogan "makes New Zealand sound like we're in a clearance bin at a sale"."The irony of that messaging is, that's how Aotearoa New Zealanders are feeling right now," she said, pointing to the "many cuts" that residents have cuts to the public sector over the past year, as part of the government's austerity push, have affected thousands of people are moving out of the country in record numbers. Official figures show that there were nearly 130,000 departures last year - though that was offset by the arrival of nearly 160,000 immigrants."New Zealanders are voting with their feet, leaving in record high numbers," Labour MP Barbara Edmonds wrote on X on Monday. "Is their real tourism plan 'Everyone Must Go' - for Kiwis?"Others associated the slogan with demand for lavatories."I think 'Everyone Must Go' might refer to the need for toilets in some of our high-tourist spots. I mean, the queues are ridiculous," Green Party MP Celia Wade-Brown told RNZ. "They don't go kayaking, they don't go diving, but, my goodness, they queue at the toilets."Tourism minister Louise Upston said in a statement on Sunday that "the campaign tagline of 'Everyone must go' lets Australia know that New Zealand is a 'must visit' destination, and that we're ready and waiting to welcome them now". New Zealand's tourism numbers have yet to bounce back to pre-pandemic levels, and authorities are channelling efforts into attracting visitors from neighbouring Australia, its largest source of year, New Zealand welcomed more than 1.2m visitors from Australia. But Upston said visitors numbers were only 88% of that in 2019. Luxon said he hoped the latest campaign would boost Australian visitor numbers by 5%. "It would be totally and utterly tragic if those Australians don't get here before they do die," he month-long tourism campaign is set to start this Thursday.
Yahoo
17-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
New Zealand's 'everyone must go' tourism campaign mocked by locals heading for the exit
A New Zealand government tourism campaign titled 'Everyone Must Go' is drawing derision and mockery from residents who have criticized it as tone deaf, especially at a time when New Zealanders themselves are leaving the country in droves. In an announcement on Sunday, officials said they were spending 500,000 New Zealand dollars ($287,000) on the campaign, which is aimed at visitors from neighboring Australia, New Zealand's biggest tourism market. Like many countries, New Zealand has struggled to restore its tourism industry since the Covid-19 pandemic, and the number of visitors from Australia is still at 88% of 2019 levels. 'What this Tourism New Zealand campaign says to our Aussie mates is that we're open for business, there are some great deals on, and we'd love to see you soon,' Tourism Minister Louise Upston said in a news release. Critics disagreed, saying the slogan sounded like New Zealand was advertising a clearance sale. Others said it invited bathroom jokes. 'I think 'Everyone Must Go' might refer to the need for toilets in some of our high-tourist spots. I mean, the queues are ridiculous,' Cushla Tangaere-Manuel, tourism spokesperson for the opposition Labour Party, told New Zealand news outlet RNZ. Upston did not respond to an emailed request for comment. The campaign comes as record numbers of New Zealanders are leaving the country of 5 million, driven in part by concerns about high living costs and lack of job opportunities. Last year, the country had a net migration loss of 47,100 New Zealand citizens, Stats NZ said Monday. More than half of those migrants went to Australia, where they can live and work visa-free under a reciprocal arrangement. There were 3.3 million visitor arrivals in New Zealand last year, Stats NZ said separately on Monday, up 12% from 2023. Australia, the United States and China were the biggest sources of visitors, with the 370,000 U.S. arrivals representing a record for a calendar year. Tourism was New Zealand's biggest export earner before the pandemic, and the conservative government has looked to it as one way to boost the economy. Last month, officials said they were easing visa rules to allow digital nomads to work in New Zealand while visiting on holiday, in the hope that they would spend more time there. Opposition lawmakers say that while they would welcome more tourists, they worry about the impact on the environment and whether the country's tourism infrastructure can support them. 'We've had the digital nomad announcement, now we've got this — and the attitude of anyone, anytime, anywhere, is concerning,' Tangaere-Manuel said. In an effort to address those concerns, last year the New Zealand government nearly tripled the entry fee for international tourists to 100 New Zealand dollars ($62.20) from 35 dollars. Australians are exempted from paying the levy, the proceeds from which are funding the same campaign for their tourist dollars that has sparked the controversy. Social media users skeptical of the 'Everyone Must Go' slogan pointed out another possible use for it. 'Worth us tucking away to use at the next election,' read one comment on the social media platform X. This article was originally published on
NBC News
17-02-2025
- Business
- NBC News
New Zealand's ‘everyone must go' tourism campaign mocked by locals heading for the exit
A New Zealand government tourism campaign titled 'Everyone Must Go' is drawing derision and mockery from residents who have criticized it as tone deaf, especially at a time when New Zealanders themselves are leaving the country in droves. In an announcement on Sunday, officials said they were spending 500,000 New Zealand dollars ($287,000) on the campaign, which is aimed at visitors from neighboring Australia, New Zealand's biggest tourism market. Like many countries, New Zealand has struggled to restore its tourism industry since the Covid-19 pandemic, and the number of visitors from Australia is still at 88% of 2019 levels. 'What this Tourism New Zealand campaign says to our Aussie mates is that we're open for business, there are some great deals on, and we'd love to see you soon,' Tourism Minister Louise Upston said in a news release. Critics disagreed, saying the slogan sounded like New Zealand was advertising a clearance sale. Others said it invited bathroom jokes. 'I think 'Everyone Must Go' might refer to the need for toilets in some of our high-tourist spots. I mean, the queues are ridiculous,' Cushla Tangaere-Manuel, tourism spokesperson for the opposition Labour Party, told New Zealand news outlet RNZ. Upston did not respond to an emailed request for comment. The campaign comes as record numbers of New Zealanders are leaving the country of 5 million, driven in part by concerns about high living costs and lack of job opportunities. Last year, the country had a net migration loss of 47,100 New Zealand citizens, Stats NZ said Monday. More than half of those migrants went to Australia, where they can live and work visa-free under a reciprocal arrangement. There were 3.3 million visitor arrivals in New Zealand last year, Stats NZ said separately on Monday, up 12% from 2023. Australia, the United States and China were the biggest sources of visitors, with the 370,000 U.S. arrivals representing a record for a calendar year. Tourism was New Zealand's biggest export earner before the pandemic, and the conservative government has looked to it as one way to boost the economy. Last month, officials said they were easing visa rules to allow digital nomads to work in New Zealand while visiting on holiday, in the hope that they would spend more time there. Opposition lawmakers say that while they would welcome more tourists, they worry about the impact on the environment and whether the country's tourism infrastructure can support them. 'We've had the digital nomad announcement, now we've got this — and the attitude of anyone, anytime, anywhere, is concerning,' Tangaere-Manuel said. In an effort to address those concerns, last year the New Zealand government nearly tripled the entry fee for international tourists to 100 New Zealand dollars ($62.20) from 35 dollars. Australians are exempted from paying the levy, the proceeds from which are funding the same campaign for their tourist dollars that has sparked the controversy. Social media users skeptical of the 'Everyone Must Go' slogan pointed out another possible use for it.
