Visitor numbers to NZ break 3 million mark

In July visitor arrivals to New Zealand numbered 208,000, up 6 per cent from the same month a year ago.

New Zealand has cracked the three-million-visitors-a-year milestone.

The record-breaking 3,002,982 visitors for the year to July was 7 per cent higher than for previous 12-month period, Statistics New Zealand said.

"The expanding market of Chinese holiday visitors, and steady growth of visitors from Australia, helped push the annual number of visitors to 3 million," population statistics senior manager Vina Cullum said.

New Zealand first reached 2 million visitors in 2002.

In July visitor arrivals numbered 208,000, up 6 per cent from the same month a year ago.

The biggest increases were from Australia, the United States, and China, said Statistics NZ.

The Tourism Industry Association said the three million milestone was outstanding.

But even more importantly, international visitors are spending more than ever before, said TIA chief executive Chris Roberts.

Average spend per international visitor is up by 19 per cent and total spending is up by 28 per cent on the previous year.

The last full year figures to October last year show spending was $10.3 billion.

"The industry is aligned on its goal of maximising the spend of each and every visitor in order to reach the Tourism 2025 goal of growing total tourism revenue — domestic and international — to $41 billion a year," Roberts said.

Prime Minister and Tourism Minister John Key said he was "delighted" with the figures.

"Today, we have more people coming to New Zealand than ever, spending more and staying for longer, helping boost our economy and creating more jobs and opportunities for New Zealanders."

Key says New Zealand is benefiting hugely as a result.

Tourism was directly responsible for 94,100 jobs within the industry and supported a further 72,700 in the year to March 2014.

"Already, tourism is our second-largest export earner and the industry continues to go from strength to strength," he said.