Spending By UK, Irish Visitors More Than Doubles

Spending By UK And Irish Visitors More Than Doubles

Lions’ supporters spend big on fun!

Auckland, 27 July 2005 – Latest figures released today by Visa International show British and Irish Lions’ supporters more than compensated for their team’s indifferent on-field form during their New Zealand tour, by having record amounts of fun off the field.

New Zealand’s biggest payment card company, Visa says travel, food and entertainment accounted for the Lions’ share of a huge spending spree by the estimated 29,000 visitors.

Spend by UK and Irish-based Visa cardholders in June and July, 2005 was $NZ42.2million - more than double the amount cardholders had spent in the same months the year before. Based on Visa’s market dominance in the UK and Ireland, Visa estimates the total spend by Lions’ supporters in New Zealand during the tour was about $NZ60million.

Spending on airline travel, rental cars, restaurants, hotels and motels and tourist attractions led the spending in both June and July, accounting for almost 30 percent of the total overall spend.

Visa’s Country Manager New Zealand Iain Jamieson said the figures confirmed the feeling that this was “truly a tour of enjoyment” for Lions’ supporters despite the results.

“New Zealand and all New Zealanders can also take a bow about the way they welcomed and entertained the visitors – that certainly encouraged all the Lions’ supporters to see and do as much as they could during their stay.”

Mr Jamieson said most sectors of the economy including the retail trade experienced benefits from the tour.

“But just as importantly, the warm attitude of New Zealanders was on show to the world – and that will reap rewards in tourism for years to come.”

Notes to Editors:
About Visa: Visa is the world’s leading payment brand generating more than US$3 trillion in annual card sales volume. Visa has unsurpassed acceptance in more than 150 countries. The Visa organization plays a pivotal role in developing innovative payment products and technologies to benefit its 21,000 member financial institutions and their cardholders. Visa is a leader in Internet based payments and is pioneering the creation of u-commerce, or universal commerce—the ability to conduct commerce anywhere, anytime, and any way. For more information, visit www.corporate.visa.com.
About Visa in Asia Pacific

In Asia Pacific, Visa has a greater market share than all other payment card brands combined with 62 percent of all card purchases at the point of sale being made using Visa cards. There are currently 229 million Visa-branded cards in the region. During the 12 months ended 30 September 2004, US$455 billion was spent at point of sale or withdrawn from ATMs in Asia Pacific using Visa cards. Visa Asia Pacific’s Internet address is www.visa-asia.com.

ENDS

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