Domestic tourism spending holds steady

Media statement
Tuesday 6 September 2011 – for immediate release

Domestic tourism spending holds steady

Domestic tourism spending held steady in the year to June 2011. New Zealanders spent $8.9 billion on trips within New Zealand, essentially unchanged from the year before.

Business travellers travelled more and spent more, while holidaymakers took less trips and spent less, found the Ministry of Economic Development’s latest Domestic Travel Survey.

Business travellers spent $2.9 billion – 8.5 percent more than the same period last year.

Domestic holidaymakers spent a total of $3.1 billion – 6.4 percent less than last year.

“The business environment has been tough for many operators in the tourism industry recently” said Peter Ellis, Tourism Research and Evaluation Manager at the Ministry of Economic Development. “On top of that, the strength of our currency has made international travel a very enticing option. Overseas travel by New Zealanders rose five percent for the year to June 2011 compared with the previous year.”

“This year’s data show a drop in the amount of domestic travel. Domestic tourism spending as a whole has held steady, but that’s at least partly attributable to transport costs.”

Other findings

• The total number of trips declined by 4.3 percent to 44.8 million for the year to June 2011 compared to the year to June 2010
• Overnight trips fell 4.4 percent to 15.9 million
• Travellers spent 48.0 million nights away from home – an average of three nights per overnight trip.
• The number of day trips fell 4.3 percent to 28.9 million
• Spend per trip increased by 5.9 percent.

The Domestic Travel Survey is an annual phone survey of 15,000 New Zealand residents undertaken throughout the year. After the 22 February earthquake, planned interviews of Christchurch residents in February and March were replaced by calls to residents of other regions. Survey data and reports are available at: www.tourismresearch.govt.nz/dts.

ENDS

© Scoop Media