Spending

US visitor spend in particular has surged, jumping by 146% in August compared to the same month in 2019.

Overseas visitors to Hamilton spent $13m in the city in the June 2023 quarter, up $5.6m on the same time last year, according to the city’s council.

High interest rates and the growing cost of living have turned sentiment negative for both domestic and international travel spend, according to Tony Alexander’s latest spending plans survey.

The FIFA Women’s World Cup boosted visitor arrivals and spending from the US market, according to accommodation and card spending data from the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment.

International visitors spent $538m on accommodation in the June 2023 quarter – the single largest category spend.

The Nelson Tasman tourism sector is seeing increases in visitor expenditure and guests nights, although growth remains tempered.

Visitor spend in the West Coast’s Westland District increased by 96% over the year to the June 2023 quarter – the strongest growth of any region, according to Development West Coast.

Spending in the hospitality industry totalled $1.26bn in July 2023, up 6.3% on the same month last year, according to Stats NZ’s latest electronic card transactions data.

Kiwis are feeling more positive about spending on domestic travel in the next three to six months in the strongest result since October, according to Tony Alexander’s latest spending plans survey.

International visitor spend in June 2023 was up 14% on the same month in pre-Covid 2019, according to the latest Tourism Electronic Card Transactions.

Consumer spending in hospitality rose slightly over the school holidays and Matariki, however, it was not enough to change a trend of slowing spending growth, according to data from Worldline New Zealand’s payments network.

The Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment is seeking industry input into what appears to be a significant change in the way visitor spend is measured.

Regional tourism organisation Whanganui & Partners says its region has topped the table for domestic tourism spending growth for the second month running, recording a 9.8% increase in May 2023.

Domestic travel spending sentiment remains weak for the third consecutive month as Kiwis re-evaluate their priorities.

Domestic and international card spending in May 2023 both exceeded pre-Covid 2019 by more than 13%, according to the latest TECTS data.

P&O Cruises says it will be spending $5m on Kiwi food and beverage to supply its Pacific Explorer during its Auckland season.

Tourism recovery in Taranaki is recovering, with annual visitor spend to the year ended April 2023 reaching just over $300m, a 20.6% increase compared to 2022.

Plans for domestic travel spending over the next three to six months remain weak with Kiwis pessimistic about the economy, according to Tony Alexander’s latest spending plans survey.

May card spending in the hospitality industry increased by 7.6% to $1.176bn compared to the $1.094bn transacted during the same month last year, according to Stats NZ.

International visitors spent $3.2bn billion in New Zealand in the March 2023 quarter, up from $1.8bn in the December quarter.

Actual retail sales volumes in accommodation reached close to $898.2m in March 2023 quarter, a 19% jump since the same quarter last year and closing in on the $953.1m spent in pre-Covid 2019, according to Stats NZ.

Electronic card transactions in hospitality for April have increased by 15.5% compared to the same month last year, according to Stats NZ.

The rising cost of living is turning sentiment against domestic travel expenditure, according to Tony Alexander’s latest spending plans survey.

The region’s tourism has bounced back from a difficult pandemic, buoyed by the return of foreign tourists.

The Easter holiday period has contributed to a rise in retail spending during April.

March visitor spend for Hauraki Coromandel was down 2% compared to the same month the previous year, but events and day visitors boosted numbers across the region.

Electronic card transactions in hospitality reached $1.34bn in March 2023, up about 50.6% from the $891m generated during the same month last year, according to Stats NZ.

Plans to spend more on domestic travel have turned positive for the first time since November 2022, according to Tony Alexander’s April spending plans survey.

Increasing visitor expenditure and longer stays also prompts the association to increase its spending guidance.

Visitor spend across the summer hotspot fell 40% in February due to Cyclone Gabrielle.

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Being unable to afford a New Zealand holiday is the main reason cited by Kiwis who are not planning to take one this year, according to Tourism New Zealand’s latest domestic research.

Electronic card transactions in hospitality reached $1.17bn last month, down slightly from $1.3bn in January but still significantly up by 33.5% on the $876m transacted in February 2022, according to Stats NZ.

Domestic travel spend sentiment has soured and the continuing mechanical issues plaguing Cook Strait ferries do not help, says former BNZ chief economist Tony Alexander.

Travel service exports are continuing on a strong growth trajectory due to a rise in international passenger numbers.

West Coast visitor spend in January 2023 exceeded pre-Covid levels, reaching just over $27.5m across the region, up 10.7% compare to the same month in 2020.

January’s poor weather has seen visitor numbers and spend fall sharply at one of the country’s favourite summer destinations.

Both domestic and international visitor card spend in December 2022 exceeded their corresponding pre-Covid levels, according to the latest Tourism Electronic Card Transactions data.

The return of travel and tourist-related spend saw Kathmandu stores report sales up 51% for the half-year ended 31 January 2023, compared with the same period a year earlier.

Only international travel and grocery spend sentiment remain positive with domestic tourism expenditure plans still lagging, according to Tony Alexander’s latest spending survey.

Paris has been named the world’s most powerful city destination with a travel and tourism sector worth almost US$36.65bn in 2022 – but it may not hold that position for long.

Spending in the hospitality industry increased by 24% or $261m in December 2022 when compared with the same month the previous year, according to Stats NZ.

The trans-Tasman bubble in 2021 helped lift tourism of its pandemic lows in 2020.

People are planning to reduce spending on both domestic and international travel, according to Tony Alexander’s latest spending plans survey. 

Retail card spending rose $21m or 0.3% in November 2022 compared with October 2022, when adjusted for seasonal effects, Stats NZ said today.

Many RTO areas are already near their pre-Covid level of foreign spend, with one major market surpassing it. 

But the recovery could be stymied by labour shortages and increased costs putting pressure on businesses.

An increase in the number of international travellers has led to a boost in travel service exports and imports, according to Stats NZ.

Foreign visitor spending reached $1.03bn for the September 2022 quarter, according to the International Visitor Survey.

Other financial priorities and affordability are the top reasons preventing Kiwis from planning a holiday.