Spending

Tourism spending on the West Coast fell 0.7% in the September 2022 year and guest nights also dropped 8.9%.

Total card spending across New Zealand was $9.1bn in October 2022, up 20.2% from the same month last year.

But international active considerer preference for NZ surges to a six-year high, driven by US and China.

For the first time since the pandemic began, international visitor card spend exceeds pre-Covid levels.

Queenstown’s winter season saw visitor expenditure exceed pre-Covid levels off the back of a strong ski season and the return of events.

Construction of the Department of Conservation’s new Experience Centre at the $26m Dolomite Point Redevelopment Project at Punakaiki is providing a boost for local accommodation and hospitality providers.

Despite borders being open, Kiwis are still enjoying their backyard and overwhelmingly agree that NZ delivers as a holiday destination.

Visitors flocked to Queenstown over winter with total expenditure for June, July and August 2022 up 20% over the same period in pre-Covid 2019.

Actual spending in the hospitality industry reached $1.15bn in August 2022, up 78.2% from $646m the same month last year, according to Stats NZ.

International visitor spending jumped to $182.8m in July 2022, just 9% down from the same month in pre-Covid 2019.

The easing of border restrictions have accounted for more than $77.3m in the food and beverages sector and almost $71.3m in accommodation.

People are generally cutting their overall expenditure but the desire to travel is still strong, says a survey.

International visitor spend grew to $125.4m in the month of June 2022, up 22.7% on the same period last year, according to the latest Tourism Electronic Card Transaction figures.

Consumer spend is improving in merchant groups including hotels and motels, taxis, flight booking companies and movie theatres, but remains below pre-Covid levels.

International visitor spend has reached its highest level since the pandemic began thanks to the easing of New Zealand’s borders.

The first Matariki long weekend provided a welcome lift for the hospitality sector, according to Worldline data.

The Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment plans to restart the International Visitor Survey in July 2022.

Travel exports, or international visitor spend, was just over $1bn in the March 2022 quarter, about the same as the previous corresponding period, according to Stats NZ.

The reopening of New Zealand’s borders does not appear to be dampening Kiwis’ appetites for a domestic holiday, according to an industry report.

Taranaki is among the top seven regions in the country for visitor spend for the year ending February 2022, says Venture Taranaki.

Total tourism expenditure in the Buller District increased by 9.8% in the year to March 2022.

Seasonally adjusted debit and credit card spending rose by $551m or 7% to $8.1bn in April 2022 compared with the previous month, according to Stats NZ.

People’s plans to spend more on international travel over the next 3-6 months appear particularly strong.

Rising costs are prompting price revisions with little room to manoeuvre in a recovering market for ITOs and suppliers.

Consumer spending in hospitality over the week leading up to Easter Monday reached $202.8m, bucking a 23% downward trend over the last eight months.

New Zealand’s cycle trails and cycle tourism are driving economic activity, according to two reports released by Tourism Minister Stuart Nash.

Card spending in hospitality fell to $891m in March 2022, down by 14.3% or $149m compared to the same month last year, according to Stats NZ.

Kiwis are planning to spend more on both domestic and international tourism in the 3-6 months ahead.

Spending in the hospitality sector increased steadily during March reaching almost $700m, according to new data by Worldline.

Plans to spend on domestic tourism and hospo have collapsed but international travel is on the rise.

Despite tourism spend up 16% the city’s events, hospitality and retail sectors still face challenges.

The region topped both annual and monthly visitor spend growth in January.

The International Visitors Survey is expected to restart again in July this year, says the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment.

Auckland Unlimited has suspended key parts of the city’s voucher scheme designed to stimulate spending.

Regional tourism organisation areas around the country put in a mixed performance in December versus a year earlier.

Central Otago has come out on top of the list of 31 regions recording growth in total visitor spend for 2021, says Tourism Central Otago.

People have gone into their shells “like never before during the pandemic” with a possible wave of business failures to come.

Regional tourism organisation areas in the wider Otago region continued to put in a better performance for domestic spending in November 2021 versus the same month a year earlier.

Spending in the Taupō district jumped over the Christmas/New Year period, peaking at $17.5m in the week ending 3 January, an increase of 11.2% on the same period the previous year.

Stats NZ’s latest Tourism satellite account shows the devastating effect the pandemic has had on tourism, says Tourism Industry Aotearoa.

Electronic card transaction spending for November 2021 in the hospitality sector dropped 20.8% to $845m compared to the same month in 2020.

New Zealanders are looking to spend their lockdown savings on experiences over products this summer, according to research commissioned by Mastercard.

Otago regional tourism organisation areas have topped October 2021 domestic spending growth versus the same month a year ago

The introduction of Alert Level 3 Step 2 in Auckland helped lift card spending in the region.

Tourism and hospitality spending in October 2021 fell sharply compared to the same month a year ago as the Delta outbreak took a toll on consumer expenditure.

Almost all regional tourism organisation areas around the country saw weaker monthly domestic spending in September 2021 than a year.

Stormy weather and the short-term closure of the Queen Charlotte Track impacted September spending in Marlborough.

WellingtonNZ says it has seen a significant return on its advertising spend with the impact of its Love Local campaign a highlight.

The number of people planning to spend more on a domestic holiday in the next three to six months over the key summer period remains steady at 20% in October, according to former Bank of New Zealand chief economist Tony Alexander.

All regional tourism organisations around the country with the exception of Auckland experienced weaker domestic spending than a year ago, according to data from the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment.