There’s no doubt that we live in a beautiful country and New Zealand Geographic’s new virtual reality project certainly proves it.

The government’s new R&D Tax Incentive could be a breakthrough for the tourism sector’s ability to innovate, adapt and change.

“This is an exciting research opportunity to harness the power of social media analysis and artificial intelligence techniques to gain valuable insights into visitor perception, which can in turn inform industry practices and policy-making."

Kiwis who fancy themselves local experts now have the chance to become ‘micro-entrepreneurs’ through Airbnb.

"What innovations or artificial intelligence might we be using to enhance the visitor experience, what does our future workforce look like?"

"I have to admit it really surprised me that over 30% of participants were willing to pay to do that.”

Visa has released a report showing that tourist spend in NZ is growing and they want to use contactless payment systems.

BNZ is the first Kiwi bank to offer the option to accept Alipay which should roll out in July following the trial currently underway.

"Tourism is becoming a tech business and it is important for local operators to think about how they can incorporate the latest developments."

One grant of $100,000 will be awarded to support the development of a strategy that uses ‘out of the ordinary’ thinking to promote NZ.

“It’s been encouraging to see the successful evolution of Magic Memories over the past five years.”

"New Zealand is becoming one of the top 10 tech countries in the world. We are not just rugby and tourism anymore.”

With nearly 2 million tourists visiting Queenstown annually, the Choice app will provide visitors with all the information they need to know.

“New Zealand has invested heavily in promoting education and tourism for decades, which is why we are so well known in Asia for these industries."

“Tourism New Zealand laid out a very clear strategic goal – sustain and improve the experience of visitors and host communities."