WELLINGTON, Nov. 17 (Xinhua) -- International visitor spending in New Zealand has reached a record high of 10.4 billion NZ dollars (7.1 billion U.S. dollars) in the year to September 2017, Tourism Minister Kelvin Davis said on Friday.
The latest International Visitor Survey results from the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) showed expenditure increased 4 percent compared with the year ended September 2016.
"International visitor spending is up, helped by a boost during the DHL New Zealand Lions Series," Davis said in a statement, adding that British visitors spent 181 million NZ dollars (124 million U.S. dollars) in the third quarter of 2017, up 104 percent on the same quarter in 2016.
"We're also receiving more visitors from the United States, resulting in a 14-percent jump in spending over the year to 1.2 billion NZ dollars (822 million U.S. dollars)," he said.
Though international visitor numbers continue to climb, overall expenditure growth has been moderated by the strong New Zealand dollar, which affects the amount visitors spend, Davis noted.
The MBIE has forecast that visitor numbers and expenditure will see steady growth over the next few years, with the annual international visitor spend predicted to grow 47 percent by 2023, reaching 15.3 billion NZ dollars (10.5 billion U.S. dollars).
"We are planning to invest in infrastructure, the conservation estate and training for our tourism sector workers," said the tourism minister, adding that he will be looking at various options as ways of responding to the sudden growth in visitor numbers and ensuring a sustainable funding model for tourism.
