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High numbers of cruise ship visitors are being touted as the reason behind a positive increase in visitor numbers for January, after three months of falling numbers.
Figures released yesterday by Statistics New Zealand show visitors were up 2.7 per cent on January 2007 to 253,500, bucking a downwards trend in October, November and December.
Tourism New Zealand said a huge boost in cruise ship visitors, particularly US tourists, had buoyed the arrival numbers.
