International visitor spend for the year to March 2018 grew to USD 10.9 billion off the back of a record March quarter.

The biggest spenders came from Australia (USD 2.6 billion), China (USD 1.7 billion), and the USA (USD 1.3 billion), with China and US travellers contributing to almost half the growth over the year. Visitor arrival figures for the same period showed growth in these markets.

According to the Ministry of Business, Innovation, and Enterprise’s latest International Visitor Survey, international visitors spent USD 4.2 billion between January and March 2018 – the highest quarterly figure since records began.

In the year to April 2018, international visitor numbers continued to grow, albeit more moderately than what we have seen in the past. The latest International travel and migration: April 2018 released by Statistics New Zealand showed overall arrival numbers up 5.4% on a year ago, with considerable increases among the Asian markets with Chinese and Korean arrivals both up 13.6% respectively.

Stephen England-Hall says Tourism New Zealand’s portfolio strategy has proven itself with strong growth in other areas, particularly with USA and China showing upward growth, along with several emerging markets.

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