Tourism Industry Aotearoa (TIA) will refresh its Tourism 2050 Blueprint in response to global tourism changes over the past few years.
The change was announced at TRENZ. Originally published in November 2023, Tourism 2050 – a Blueprint for Impact has served as a vision statement for the industry, setting out 10 priority actions to advance the sector toward 2030 and beyond.
The announcement came on day two of TRENZ 2026, Aotearoa New Zealand’s largest international tourism business event, in Tāmaki Makaurau, Auckland. The event has seen 1200 delegates attend the two-and-a-half-day program at NZICC, including 379 travel buyers from 27 countries and 315 tourism operators.
TIA Chief Executive Rebecca Ingram says progress has been made on many actions listed in this strategy document.
“In 2023, Tourism 2050 was the right document for the world we were in, and it has been the cornerstone of New Zealand’s tourism industry strategy since then. Thanks to this blueprint, we’ve launched Akiaki as a new business capability program for our members, while Tiaki continues to go from strength to strength,” Ingram said.
“This document has been the basis for open dialogue we’ve had with the Government around sustainable tourism funding, with a Tourism Policy Statement now in development. And most recently, the Government announced changes that will significantly modernise how tourism and conservation can operate together for mutual benefit.
“The operating environment for tourism continues to shift, and for that reason, now is the right time to refresh the plan.”
Ingram says the Tourism 2050 refresh will not start from scratch.
“Tourism 2050’s vision, framework, and ten-action architecture remain sound. The focus will be on updating the strategic context, strengthening the measurement framework, and sharpening specific actions where needed.
“We expect to complete the refresh by August, following consultation with our members.
“We want the updated Tourism 2050 to continue serving the industry, as a guiding document for the future of tourism in Aotearoa New Zealand.”
Edited by Peter Needham at TRENZ 2026 in Tāmaki Makaurau, Auckland – (c) 2026.
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About the Author.
With more than 35 years in travel journalism, Peter Needham has filed stories from Fleet Street to Fiji, and just about everywhere in between. As Managing Editor (Australasia) for Global Travel Media, he shapes industry coverage with the steady hand of someone who’s seen fashions come and go and knows what lasts.
Since going freelance in 1993, his byline has appeared in the Sydney Morning Herald, the Australian Financial Review, Reader’s Digest, and Qantas’ in-flight magazines. He edited Inside Tourism for seven years, wrote the long-running Travel Tales column for Vacations & Travel, and even crafted copy for Tourism Australia ahead of the Sydney 2000 Olympics.
A Reuters, Guardian and AAP veteran, Peter has travelled widely from South American backpacking trails to a Saudi military hospital, gathering stories the old-fashioned way: by being there.
