Economy benefits from strong tourism growth

  • Paula Bennett
Tourism

Impressive growth in tourist guest nights has benefits for the wider economy, Associate Tourism Minister Paula Bennett says.

The June 2015 Accommodation Survey shows national guest nights were 5.3 per cent higher than the year to June 2014, and this was the fifteenth consecutive monthly increase.

“Tourism operators I meet throughout New Zealand tell me about the positive growth they are experiencing, and these figures are a clear reflection of that,” Mrs Bennett says.

Domestic guest nights in June 2015 increased by 0.6 per cent and international guest nights were up by 8 per cent compared to June 2014.

“Tourism is a big part of our diverse, resilient economy, contributing $8.3 billion or 4 per cent to GDP and is second only to the dairy industry in terms of foreign exchange earnings,” says Mrs Bennett.

“It’s particularly pleasing to see 10 out of 12 regional areas had more guest nights. Tourism is an important contributor to our regional economies, with over half of international tourism expenditure being spent outside the three major cities.

“Our well-deserved reputation as a premiere destination is supported by the Government’s commitment to growing the tourism sector.

“Since 2008, we’ve invested an unprecedented $600 million in tourism and tourism promotion, and these June results show it is paying off.”