Domestic tourism spending highest for eight years

Domestic travellers spent $9.95 billion in the year to March 2012.

The Ministry of Economic Development’s Domestic Tourism Survey, released today, reveals an 11 percent increase in domestic tourism spending compared to the previous 12 month period.
Tourism Research and Evaluation Manager Peter Ellis says: “These latest statistics show a continuing improvement in the domestic market after the slump in 2010/11. At $9.95 billion, it’s the highest amount we’ve ever seen spent domestically. Even adjusted for inflation, the domestic tourism spend is the second-highest ever, behind a mini-boom in 2002 and 2003.
“Business trips and those visiting friends and relatives were the key drivers of this increase. A total of 7.3 million overnight trips were recorded for travellers visiting friends and relatives – an extra one million overnight trips compared to the previous year.”
In total there were 18.2 million overnight trips and 32.4 million day trips during the year ending March 2012.

Transport accounted for the largest increase in domestic tourist expenditure, at $3.4 billion in the year ending March 2012, up 10 percent from the previous year. Food and beverage spending was $2.6 billion, an increase of 12 percent, and accommodation spending rose to $1.3 billion, up eight percent from year ending March 2011.

The Domestic Travel Survey is an annual phone survey of 15,000 New Zealand residents and is undertaken throughout the year. The latest survey covers domestic travel trends for the year ending March 2012. The data is available from the Tourism research and data section of our website.

ENDS

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