Eftpos use in Napier at the weekend was almost one-third up on the same weekend last year the city capitalised on its biggest weekend since before the first Covid restrictions more than two and a
By the numbers: Napier's biggest weekend since the Covid pandemic began
Napier City Council economic development manager Bill Roberts for Napier City Council says added visitor numbers in the city directly translate to increases in spending.
"Big events and more visitors are a really great sign that we are coming out of some pretty challenging times for our retailers," he says.
"We've got a dynamic coastal city here with lots going on and it rewards travellers and visitors by giving them a great experience," he says. "Visitors are happy to spend time and money in the city, it's a fantastic result for Hawke's Bay last week and with The Grand Princess due on Friday with 2500 passengers on board the good times are set to continue".
Hawke's Bay Tourism CEO Hamish Saxton says businesses would have been delighted after the difficult times of the last two years.
Additionally, there had been many anecdotal comments by visitors about the "buzz" and the potential return of international visitors by car, plane and sea, he said.