Tourists spend $745m more

By SIMON HENDERY

Tourists are staying longer in New Zealand and are spending more each day.

Figures released by the Ministry of Tourism yesterday show overseas visitors spent a record $5.9 billion during the year to the end of September - $745 million, or 14 per cent, more than the previous year.

During the September year the number arriving in New Zealand rose 1.5 per cent to 1.96 million.

Australia remains our largest tourism market. Despite a 2.3 per cent fall in the number of Australians visiting a country, their total spending over the year rose $20 million to $932 million.

Visitors from all countries spent an average of $3431 during their visit, up 14 per cent on last year.

While visitors from Japan, the United States and Britain have traditionally spent the most per visit, they were eclipsed over the past 12 months by travellers from Hong Kong, who almost doubled their average spending, which is now over $5000.

The jump is believed to be linked to the growing popularity of English language schools in New Zealand and associated increased spending by Asian students attending courses.

The chairman of the Tourism Research Council, Sean Murray, said the increase in average spending across all markets was a combination of visitors spending more per day (up 4 per cent to $172) and staying longer (an average 20 days, up 9 per cent).

"To achieve this performance in the post-September 11 year reflects very well on the New Zealand tourism industry, the quality of the New Zealand tourism offer and on our overall ability to adapt to an always-changing international operating environment," he said.

The chief executive of Tourism New Zealand, George Hickton, said the record spending was "a stunning result, especially in light of visitor arrivals remaining relatively static in this period".

Fifty-eight per cent of visitors said they were in the country on holiday, 18 per cent were visiting friends and relatives, 15 per cent were on business and the rest were here for "other" reasons including study, sport and medical treatment.

The visitor spending figures are compiled from interviews with about 5000 visitors a year on their way out of the country. The spending figures do not include the cost of travelling to New Zealand or pre-paid accommodation.

Asked if they would visit New Zealand again, 88 per cent of those surveyed said yes, compared with 87 per cent a year ago and 83 per cent in the year to September 2000.

Total annual overseas visitor spending has almost doubled in the past four years. It was $3.1 billion in the year to September 1998.

Ministry of Tourism