Wellington's World of Wearable Art brought in $22.6 million for local businesses last year, a market and economic assessment shows.
Commissioned by Wellington City Council and the World of Wearable Art (WOW), the assessment found more than 47,000 people attended a WOW show last year during the two-week September season - with about 70 per cent of the crowds coming from out of town for the event.
The $22.6m that poured into the local economy during last year's WOW season was $7.5m more than in 2009, the Wellington City Council said.
"We are delighted with the results of the Economic Assessment, which show just how important WOW is to Wellington's economy," mayor Celia Wade-Brown said.
This year, the show will be extended to a three-week period to cater to increased demand. An additional 8000 tickets will be available for spectators.
