By DANIEL RIORDAN
The number of tourists heading for New Zealand is expected to rise by almost 50 per cent over the next six years, says the newly formed Tourism Research Council.
It says tourist numbers will rise from 1.73 million last year to 2.53 million in 2006, an annual average growth
rate of 6.7 per cent or slightly more than 100,000 visitors.
The number of people coming here for a holiday is expected to reach 1.33 million by 2006. Those arriving on business will total 310,000 and 647,000 will be visiting family and friends.
Growth rates for all three categories are likely to be similar.
Australia will remain our biggest source of tourists, providing 33 per cent of visitors last year and 30 per cent in 2006.
The American market share (mainly the United States and Canada) stays at 14 per cent, but Japan's market share drops from 9 per cent to 7 per cent.
Arrivals from Europe rise marginally, from 19 per cent to 20 per cent.
Visitors from other Asian countries go from 15 per cent to 19 per cent.
South Korea is likely to provide the highest growth of any country at 17 per cent a year. By 2006, numbers are expected to surpass the peak that was reached in 1996 before the Asian economic crisis hit.
Chinese visitors are next highest, at 13 per cent a year.
The council - a joint initiative between the Government and the tourist industry - commissioned a survey from Auckland researchers McDermott Fairgray.
Forecasts of how much the visitors will spend here have yet to be finalised.
A disagreement between the researchers and Statistics New Zealand over methods used to determine the spending figures has delayed the forecasts, probably until February.
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