KEY POINTS:
The tourism industry - New Zealand's largest export earner - continues to grow despite a strong New Zealand dollar, according to Statistics New Zealand.
The Tourism Satellite Account showed total expenditure was $18.6 billion for the year ending March 2006, up from $18 billion the previous year.
Domestic tourism spending was up 3.5 per cent at $10.3 billion, with the international sector up 2.8 per cent at $8.3 billion.
Tourism Minister Damien O'Connor said the figures were a shot in the arm for the industry, whose strategy was under review. "The challenge now is to ensure we continue to be smart in the way we deal with changing international trends and to remain focussed on protecting and enhancing the special image our country enjoys overseas."
The report said the result benefited from the 2005 Lions Tour but came despite cheaper transtasman airfares and a strong dollar driving continued growth in New Zealanders heading overseas on holiday.
The latest data for the year ending March 2006 was drawn from Ministry of Tourism surveys and information in national accounts.
Meanwhile, short-term departures by New Zealand residents rose 1.7 per cent and overseas visitor arrivals rose by 2.4 per cent for the year ending May, 2007.
Tourism Industry Association chief executive Fiona Luhrs said similar growth in expenditure was expected for the year ending March 2007. "It has been just a good steady couple of years. Nothing surprising, nothing untoward, just gradual, steady growth," she said. However, the future impact of the strong dollar was an unknown.
Direct and indirect employment in the tourism industry for the year ending March 2006 rose 4.3 per cent to a fulltime equivalent of 183,100 people - equivalent to 9.9 per cent of the workforce.
