Light Nelson did more than just brighten up the winter and bring the community together – it also set the cash registers ringing in the city’s retail and hospitality sectors.

Data on spending during the July light festival was collected by the Wellington based specialist analytics company Marketview, and Light Nelson Chair Brian Riley says it shows outstanding results, with a significant increase in the economic spin-offs of the event from 2014.

“It’s great news for us, our core funders and for the future of the event,” Riley said. “I’m particularly pleased with the data on visitors who came here because of Light Nelson. The work we did with Tourism Nelson Tasman on out of town promotion really paid off.”

Visitors from the Far North right down to Invercargill accounted for just over 20% of the total spending for the period, almost a third more than in 2014.

The Nelson City Council invested significantly in Light Nelson and Mayor Rachel Reese says the event is an incredible example of just how special our region is.

“It not only highlights our reputation as a creative centre but also showcases our beautiful city as a winter destination,” she said. “Our community spirit shines through Light Nelson. It's about encouraging both locals and visitors to enjoy our region, at any time of the year, and with Light Nelson we have seen the benefits of growing our annual calendar of events, first hand."

Riley said people are clearly coming into town for the event and making the most of the night by dining out, with the spend in the CBD hospitality sector up just over 40% on the average spend for this time of year.

Other highlights from the spending data show:

• $4.8 million dollars was spent in the Nelson CBD over the 5-day event period, with $9.3 million in Nelson region; an 9.8% increase from 2014

• Nelsonians accounted for 55% of total spending; up 6.2% from 2014

• Tasman residents accounted for 23% of total spending; an increase of 19.1% from 2014.

Over 55,000 people attended the free event over the five-night period from July 8 – 12, viewing 62 Installations showcased throughout the Queens Gardens and NMIT campus. There were 397 people involved in creating projects for Light Nelson, and more working as volunteers at the event. The fourth Light Nelson will be held in July 2018. The statistics contained in this release are from the Marketview Topline Economic Overview, commissioned by the Light Nelson Trust.

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