Overseas tourists helped push an extra $4.4 million through the tills during last weekend's Rugby World Cup semi-final double-header, when compared with the same period last year.
Auckland, the host city for both games, reaped the rewards of the spending boost, with foreign card transactions through the Paymark network in the city of sails up 69.6 per cent.
Hospitality providers and clothing retailers both recorded double digit growth during the weekend, with spending up 18.5 per cent and 12.1 per cent respectively.
Car rental firms, who enjoyed a $2.1 million boost in sales during the first 10 days of the cup, saw spending fall 2.8 per cent, suggesting that touring has now tapered off.
Paymark head of sales and marketing Paul Whiston said spending also increased in the Bay of Plenty, Nelson and Otago, probably due to the school holidays.
