An extra 800 visitors enjoyed Wairarapa hospitality for the two months of the Rugby World Cup, a boost in numbers described as "fantastic" for the region.
More than 18,300 people arrived in the region during October and November, a 4.6 per cent increase on 2010 numbers.
Despite not hosting any World Cup games, Destination Wairarapa general manager David Hancock said the tournament would have been the main reason for the increase.
"That would be the follow on from the Rugby World Cup and people hanging around after those games in Wairarapa," he said.
The region played host to the Georgian team, who attended several local events.
Mr Hancock said the result was fantastic for the region, especially as it was a better performance than the wider region and the country.
Greater Wellington region had 1.7 per cent fewer visitors for the same period, and the country as a whole dropped 3.4 per cent.
The Greater Manawatu region also saw an increase, with 48,632 visitors, 9.2 per cent more than the previous year. "Better still was the growth in guest nights of 27.4 per cent for Wairarapa versus negative growth for New Zealand and only 3.6 per cent for Wellington," said Mr Hancock.
Spending in Wairarapa also increased for the period, with $35.2 million spent in electronic transactions in October, according to Paymark - a 0.2 per cent increase on the year before. In November, spending increased by 1.2 per cent to $36.1 million.
Wairarapa Chamber of Commerce chief executive officer Stephanie Gundersen-Reid said the financial growth would have been noticed in the hospitality, accommodation and retail areas.
"It was a good time for some but others didn't notice the difference," she said. Carterton Mayor Ron Mark said there had been a definite increase in people travelling through the town and retailers in the service industry did notice the growth. Mr Mark said an increase in train services by Wellington Regional Council may have attracted more visitors to the region.