‘One of the main drivers of the overall increase in regional tourism spending was an increase in expenditure on fuel and other automotive products, which grew on average 15.9 per cent over the year. The 16.5 per cent increase in petrol prices over the year would have contributed to this growth in fuel expenditure,’ MBIE’s Manager of Business and Economic Development, Dr Antony Kennedy says.

The fastest-growing regions were Gisborne (up 17.2 per cent), Canterbury (up 14.0 per cent) and Taranaki (up 13.6 per cent). Each of these regions had experienced stronger-than-average spending in the summer peak in the latest year.

In Gisborne, international visitors spent $31 million over the year (up 17.8 per cent compared with the year to July 2017), and domestic tourists spent $129 million (up 17.0 per cent).

‘Annual spend has grown, however July 2018 international visitor spend was down on July 2017. The decrease is because of the DHL British and Irish Lions Series last July which saw higher than normal spending across all regions.

Improved tourism spending for the regions helps the tourism industry plan strategically by providing insight into where both domestic and international tourists are spending their money. We encourage the industry to use the information in their planning so we can continue to provide visitors to New Zealand with high-quality experiences.’ says Dr Kennedy.

View the full statistics from the Monthly Regional Tourism Estimates.

A user guide providing information on how the estimates are calculated and how they should be interpreted is available here.