KEY POINTS:
A rise in the number of visiting Australians was the main reason for a 13 per cent increase in international visitor guest nights in July, compared to a year earlier.
Statistics New Zealand data showed international visitors spent 900,000 guest nights in short-term commercial accommodation in that month, which while up on a year ago was still 3 per cent down on July 2005.
Visitors from Australia recorded the largest absolute increase in international guest nights, rising 71,000 or 28 per cent.
Of 12 regions in the survey, eight had rises in July from a year earlier.
Auckland had the largest absolute increase, up 57,000 or 16 per cent, followed by Otago, up 40,000 or 12 per cent, and Canterbury, up 29,000 or 9 per cent.
