Service sector
The service sector generates around three quarters of GDP (2017); over 73% of the workforce is employed in it.
Tourism: New Zealand is considered to be one of the most beautiful countries on earth. It is characterized by strong contrasts in the landscape and attractive because of the extensive range of opportunities to do extreme sports. National parks and untouched areas, spectacular natural spectacles and an impressive, largely endemic fauna and flora attract numerous foreign tourists (2018: 3.8 million, with an upward trend), mainly from Australia, the USA, Great Britain and Asia, but also from Germany and other European countries. The center of tourism on the North Island is the Rotorua region, known for its Maori cult sites, the Bay of Islands, Waitomo and Wairakei in the volcanic highlands, on the South Island the national parks around the snow-covered Mount Cook with hiking trails and more than 300 glaciers, the southern Fiordland and in the west the region around Christchurch. New Zealand’s strong economic growth is also due to the steadily increasing flow of international visitors. The responsible ministry is forecasting an annual number of 5.1 million visitors for 2024, an increase of over 37% compared to 2017. In 2018, tourists brought nearly $ 500 million into the country, adding to employment, increasing business activity and filling local government coffers. Visit computerdo for Oceania Tourism.
Natural resources
In addition to crude oil and natural gas, coal is one of the most important mineral resources. The coal reserves are estimated at 15 billion tons. In 2016, around 3.4 million t were mined, in 2018 3.2 million t for export and own use. The country also has huge deposits of iron-bearing sands, which form up to 60 m high dunes on the west coast of the North Island (extraction in 2016: 3.5 million t). Gold production was 10 tons per year in 2018, with a value of almost US $ 400 million. Other mining products are limestone, pumice stone, pyrite, green stone, serpentine, quartz sand, etc. In the northeast of the South Island, sea salt is extracted from Lake Grassmere for domestic and industrial purposes.
Development at the beginning of the 21st century
The Labor Party suffered heavy losses in the 2008 general election. The National Party became the strongest parliamentary force. Its chairman J. Key formed a minority government supported by the small parties ACT New Zealand, Maori Party and United Future New Zealand. The global financial and economic crisis of 2008/09 as well as the severe earthquakes in Christchurch in 2010 and 2011 severely impacted New Zealand. In the parliamentary elections in 2011, the ruling National Party was able to increase its majority in parliament.
Key remained head of government at the head of a minority government. In October 2011, the container ship “Rena” wrecked off the New Zealand coast; around 360 tons of oil leaked and caused the largest environmental disaster to date in New Zealand waters and coastal regions. This hit New Zealand’s economy even more; it did not pick up again until 2012. The inflation rate also fell. In June 2012, NATO and New Zealand signed a defense agreement. In 2013, a law came into force that allowed same-sex marriage. New Zealand was thus a pioneer in the Asia-Pacific region. In the same year, Parliament passed a controversial law that allowed the foreign intelligence service to monitor residents of New Zealand under certain conditions. In the parliamentary elections in 2014, voters gave anyway J. Key mandated a third term. The National Party he led won 47% of the vote and 60 out of 121 seats. Key and his party were particularly able to benefit from the good economic situation, while the Labor Party again suffered losses. After J. Keys resigned in 2016, the previous Minister of Finance, B. English, took over the post of Prime Minister. His party, the National Party, became the strongest political force in 2017 with 44.5% of the vote and 56 out of 120 seats, but the Labor Party and New Zealand First agreed to form a minority government tolerated by the Greens. So J. Ardern , Leader of the Labor Party, Prime Minister in 2017. In March 2019, Ardern reacted to the deadly terrorist attack by a right-wing extremist on two mosques in Christchurch in a human and political way that was honored around the world. She launched a global initiative against terrorist content on the Internet that was discussed at the G7 summit in the same year. The government passed stricter gun laws, including a far-reaching ban and the repurchase of legally acquired automatic and semi-automatic weapons.
