Tourist spending increases

Spending by international tourists rose by 1.6 per cent in the year ended March 2010 as more Australians visited New Zealand.

The rise was a turnaround as spending had decreased 0.7 per cent in the year ended March 2009.

"The significant rise in visitor numbers from the Oceania region, predominantly Australia, has been the catalyst for a return to growth in international expenditure," national accounts manager Rachael Milicich said.

The Tourism Industry Association New Zealand said tourism earned more foreign exchange than any other export sector in the year ended March 2010.

The figures highlighted the importance of Australia, New Zealand's number one tourism market, in supporting the tourism industry through the downturn. For the year ended March 2010, Australian visitor arrivals were up 14.5 percent, boosting total visitor expenditure.

Domestic tourism expenditure was $12.9 billion, an increase of 2.5 per cent from the previous year, while international tourism contributed $9.5 billion to New Zealand's total exports of goods and services.

Tourism generated a direct contribution to gross domestic product of $6.5b, or 3.8 per cent of GDP.

Tourists generated $1.7b in goods and services tax revenue.

- NZPA