Skyline Queenstown has won a top tourist industry accolade, taking out the inaugural ServiceIQ Visitor Experience Award.

Spending by domestic tourists is falling short of targets but an industry body says New Zealand tourism has made a promising start to nearly doubling spending in just over a decade.

'I'm deadly serious, I will close you down'. The Prime Minister has issued a stern warning to adventure tourism operators over safety breaches.

Auckland is taking a leaf out of New York’s fashion books with t-shirts, jumpers and other merchandise declaring: “I love AKL.’’

Travel Editor Winston Aldworth checks out the creature comforts aboard the airline's newest addition to the local fleet.

Singapore Airlines' Airbus A380 superjumbo has landed at Auckland Airport twenty minutes ahead of schedule as it starts a five-month summer service.

Queenstown wants airlines to put on extra planes from Auckland and Christchurch to soak up an expected summer surge in Asian tourists.

Auckland International Airport has confirmed it’s likely to deliver an underlying net profit of between $160m and $170m this financial year,

French tourists Caroline Claudon and Alexis Rebours chose Auckland to begin their working holiday but a clean break from big cities was what they hoped for.

HeliPro employs 70 people to run its 35 helicopters in NZ, Australia and Fiji.

Tourism Holdings chief executive Grant Webster says the falling New Zealand dollar will boost the visitor sector but is unlikely to encourage a big surge in numbers this high season.

A study of the superyacht industry has found visiting vessels generated more than $40 million for New Zealand last summer - which could rocket if facilities were expanded.

There are increasing hotel sales and new hotel construction activity, with the industry showing signs of renewed optimism that is expected to continue into 2015, says Dean Humphries, national director of hotels at Colliers International.

Tourist industry leaders have a short wishlist for the next John Key Government and topping it is having the Prime Minister continue in the tourism portfolio.

Tourism New Zealand and a travel agency have teamed up to promote the possibility of five extreme activities in a day in the South Island.

Los Angeles, London, Paris, Rome, now Auckland. Google yesterday has added the city to the list of locations with 3D maps allowing users 'virtual travel'.

Grant Bradley travelled to Papenburg, Germany to see first-hand the process behind building megaships.

Take a look at the German launch of a megaship so big that Auckland will expand its wharf for its visit

The tourism industry wants to outperform Government forecasts to cement its position as one of New Zealand's biggest export sectors.

The cost of a night away from home is on the rise.

New Zealand is increasingly becoming the No 1 travel destination for the rich and the famous.

New Zealand needs to be competitive to continue attracting cruise ship seasons worth more than $365 million, according to the national voice in the sector.

Total visitor spending in New Zealand grew by 11 per cent to $7.1 billion in the past year, driven by strong growth from the United States, Germany and China.

Analysts appear to be satisfied with SkyCity Entertainment Group's performance, despite a drop in annual profit.