Tourists spent $1.8billion in the Bay of Plenty last year. Photo/Ben Fraser
Tourists spent $1.8billion in the Bay of Plenty in the last year - up 7 per cent from the previous year.
The latest Monthly Regional Tourism Estimates were released by the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) today.
Tourism spend for the Bay of Plenty was estimated to be
$1.8 billion for the year to January 2017, up seven per cent compared with the year to January 2016.
MBIE Manager of Sector Trends, Peter Ellis said that of this tourism spend in the year to January 2017, international visitors spent $586 million (up 6 per cent compared with the year to January 2016), and domestic tourists spent $1,150 million (up seven per cent) in that period.
"When it comes to the monthly expenditure, tourism spend in Bay of Plenty for the month of January 2017 is up five per cent compared with the month of January 2016," said Mr Ellis.
Rotorua MP Todd McClay said the large increase in tourism spending in Rotorua was fantastic news for the region and will continue to support job creation, growth and infrastructure upgrades.
"This is a real win for Rotorua and it shows just how important tourism is for our local economy," he said.
"Events like Crankworx, the mud festival and the Tarawera Ultra Marathon all add to Rotorua's appeal, showcasing us on the world stage."
$773 million was spent in the Rotorua area alone in the last year which equated to a 4 per cent increase. However, in January spending was up 5 percent to more than $102 million compared with the same month a year ago.
"I'm very optimistic that 2017 will be another record year for tourism spending if the numbers continue to track this way," said Mr McClay.
To view the full statistics from the Monthly Regional Tourism Estimates, visit the MBIE website.
