NEW ZEALAND BUSINESS NEWS
Empowering Kiwi Businesses
Tourism Industry Aotearoa (TIA), the peak body representing about 1,200 tourism businesses ranging from small owner-operators to international hotel chains, has released its annual workforce survey. The survey, run by Angus & Associates for TIA, drew responses from 231 tourism businesses and points to a sector that expects to keep hiring through the year ahead.
Eighty-six per cent of responding organisations say they feel confident about the year ahead. Just over half — 51 per cent — are actively recruiting, up 4 per cent on 2025, and 78 per cent expect to recruit at least one new role in the next 12 months, a significant rise on last year.
The mix of vacancies has shifted toward entry-level roles. Entry-level roles now make up 55 per cent of tourism vacancies, up 10 per cent from 2025. Mid-level roles account for 30 per cent, and senior roles—those requiring eight or more years of experience plus specific qualifications—account for 15 per cent.
Retention worries have eased. Only 22 per cent of operators are concerned about retaining team members, which TIA says has improved in recent years.
TIA chief executive Rebecca Ingram said the results show plenty of opportunity in tourism.
“Whether you’re looking to start a career or build on existing skills, there is opportunity for employment in tourism – and it’s great to see the industry optimistic about the year ahead,” Ingram said.
One quarter of tourism operators plan to hire Working Holiday Visa (WHV) holders over the summer period. TIA estimates the average WHV holder contributes over $50,000 to the New Zealand economy during their stay.
That source of labour is shrinking. Ingram said the number of Working Holiday Visa arrivals to New Zealand has been steadily declining, but the scheme remains important to tourism and other industries, particularly horticulture, in the summer months when the industry needs a surge workforce.
The survey also sets out the scale of the challenge behind the numbers. Tourism and hospitality enable one in nine jobs in New Zealand, with TIA putting the number at 327,888 jobs directly and indirectly supported by tourism. Workforce forecasts show that doubling tourism exports by 2034 will require about 100,000 additional workers—around 10,000 to 13,000 new entrants each year.
Ingram said the industry’s Tourism 2050 strategy has “Growing the Tourism Workforce” as a key action to support future industry needs.
“Delivering the workforce of the future will require co-ordinated action on many fronts, not least how we inspire young people to pick a career in tourism. The recent announcement that Tourism will be included as an industry-led secondary school subject in the refreshed curriculum for Years 12 and 13 is a very positive step, and we are enthusiastic about the difference this will make,” she said.
She said employers also need to be employers of choice, and pointed to the range of actions businesses are already taking: flexible work hours, paying the living wage, opportunities to attend conferences, professional development, and providing meals and, in some cases, accommodation.
For operators, the survey suggests the hiring pressure is concentrated at the entry level, where more than half of vacancies now sit. That shifts the focus to training and the conditions that persuade new staff to stay, rather than competing for scarce senior staff.
Summer cover remains a live issue. With a quarter of operators planning to hire Working Holiday Visa holders and arrivals on that visa declining, businesses that rely on seasonal staff have less room to assume workers will be there.
The longer-term numbers are the harder problem. Meeting the goal of doubling tourism exports by 2034 requires about 100,000 additional workers, or 10,000 to 13,000 new entrants each year, so TIA points to school curriculum, pay, and conditions as the levers that matter.
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