The value added of Māori tourism in New Zealand

BERL produced a thorough report on the current economic contribution of Māori tourism as a vital component of Aotearoa New Zealand’s tourist industry. Value-added is the contribution of a private industry or government sector to overall GDP. The components of value added consist of compensation of employees, taxes on production and imports less subsidies, and gross operating surplus. Here it measures the value added from experiences and services provided by Māori tourism businesses and Māori collectives.

In 2023 Māori tourism accounted for $1.2bn of production GDP to the Māori economy – 23% increase from 2018. Unlike other goods and services, tourism is defined by the characteristics of the customer demanding tourism products, services, and experiences. BERL measured Māori tourism by categorising traditional industries into 3 components – see graphic also:

1. Core industries – industries that rely heavily on tourism

2. General tourism industries – providing the supporting features of tourism

3. Other tourism industries – very small proportion of demand may result from tourism

Māori collectives – represent Māori incorporations, trusts, and post-settlement governance entities (PSGEs), which may be formed by whānau, hapū, and iwi from around Aotearoa New Zealand. In 2023 Māori collectives added approximately $151m in production GDP.

Māori tourism businesses, characterised by Māori owned and operated private businesses, from employers to self-employed, provide diverse and culturally enriched offerings. In 2023 Māori tourism businesses generated $1bn in production GDP.

3,595 Māori tourism businesses operating in core and general tourism – (756 self-employed). The businesses employed 15,000 people – on average employ more staff and offer higher salaries than non-Māori businesses. See graphic.

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