NZ tourism numbers spike to record high

NZ tourism numbers spike to record high

New Zealand is inching closer to the three million visitor mark as the number of tourists visiting the land of the long white cloud increases again.

Short-term visitor arrivals rose nine per cent to 177,000 in June from the same month a year earlier, led by gains in Australian, Chinese, and American visitors.

Holiday arrivals rose 10 per cent to a record 2.99 million for the past 12 months, just 8,000 short of the three million mark according to Tourism New Zealand.

Tourism New Zealand chief executive Kevin Bowler said focusing efforts on improving arrivals growth in the shoulder seasons is key to continuing the trend.

“These figures are brilliant news,” he said on Tuesday.

“It means more jobs and economic value, not just in the peak summer period but with benefits felt throughout the year.”

China was one of the leading drivers of the record figures with holiday arrivals spiking by 27 per cent, courtesy of increased services by Air Zealand and China Southern Air.

Australian arrivals jumped 12 per cent while German and American tourists also improved by 21 and 18 per cent respectively.

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