MBIE developed the Monthly Regional Tourism Estimates in consultation with tourism industry representatives to create a better measurement of the value of tourism by region.
"Visitor spending information for the regions helps inform investment and planning in the tourism industry by providing insight into where both domestic and international tourists are spending their money," Mr Gordon says.
"Our figures are based on card transaction data. Users can filter the data to get the information they need, including breaking it down by year, key areas within regions, country of origin, and tourism product groupings such as accommodation, transport and retail sales."
Hawke's Bay Tourism general manager Annie Dundas said she was stoked with the results.
"Visitor expenditure continues to grow for Hawke's Bay with a 7 per cent increase on the previous year, once again ahead of the national average," Ms Dundas said. "July was a good month for the region - we hosted more Lions visitors, had Winter Deco and the last week of Winter F.A.W.C!. We are really pleased with the consistent growth we are seeing."
Meanwhile, the Hawke's Bay economy is 'simmering' and close to 'steaming', jumping four places to sixth in a quarterly report by Trans Tasman Media.
The Main Report measures the economy of New Zealand's 16 regions and ranks them against each other. In the June report the only region to make bigger gains than Hawke's Bay was Otago which leapt eight spaces to fourth. Marlborough made the same ground as Hawke's Bay, up four places to seventh.
The report gives four grades: cool, stable, simmering and steaming. The results are based on a range of statistics including employment rates, construction figures, retail results and house prices.
In its commentary on Hawke's Bay, the report says construction in the region was running at a "solid pace" and the outlook was "optimistic" based on solid prospects for tourism, horticulture and viticulture.
The latest positive report came on the back of an upbeat MarketView quarterly retail sales report for Hastings.
That showed a spending increase of near 10 per cent across the district for the quarter ended June compared with the same three months the previous year.