Domestic travel spend continues to increase

Kiwis are pumping more money into the New Zealand economy as spending through domestic travel continues to increase, Tourism Minister Damien O'Connor said today.

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Kiwis are pumping more money into the New Zealand economy as spending through domestic travel continues to increase, Tourism Minister Damien O'Connor said today.

The Minister was commenting on Ministry of Tourism data out today showing New Zealanders spent $7.9 billion in the year to June 2007, up 11.8 percent from the same period last year.

Spending on overnight trips by domestic travellers increased by 10.5 percent to $5.1 billion over the same period. The number of overnight trips increased by 6.3 percent to 15.2 million.

Daytrip expenditure also increased by 14.1 percent to $2.8 billion, with the number of daytrips increasing by 5 percent to 30.6 million.

"The figures are very encouraging. Kiwis are getting out and about and exploring our country more and spending more as a result. This is great news for both local businesses and the New Zealand economy," said Mr O'Connor.

"As we all know, New Zealand's clean green natural environment and the associated wide selection of outdoor activities available has been a major attraction for overseas visitors. It's great to see New Zealanders also taking the time to explore their own country."

Mr O'Connor said the AA's high-profile 101 Must-Dos for Kiwis campaign helps remind Kiwis of New Zealand's qualities and encourages them to set out and explore places they may not have visited before.

The Domestic Travel Survey from which the data originates is a telephone survey of 15,000 New Zealand residents undertaken throughout the year. A range of data and reports from the survey are available on the Ministry of Tourism's research website - www.tourismresearch.govt.nz