“You shall not pass” beyond the doors of the hobbit holes at the Hobbiton Movie Set - until now as iconic hobbit holes are finally open to the public. Video / Carson Bluck
The Waikato is in the top four areas in New Zealand for visitor spending says a recent survey by the Ministry of Business, Innovation & Employment. The Waikato Herald takes a look at what makes the region stand out?
The mighty Waikato is again shining on the nationalstage as new MBIE data reveals that visitors spent about $3.2 billion in the region in the year to October 31.
That was up 10 per cent, compared to same period last year, and showed the region just behind Auckland, Canterbury, and Otago.
Hamilton & Waikato Tourism chief executive Nicola Greenwell said it demonstrated the key role the Waikato played, in domestic and international tourism.
“The diverse range of activities and attractions in the Waikato make it a great place to visit for international and domestic travellers.
“Major events held in the region such as the Fifa Women’s World Cup assist international visitor spend.
“North American visitors injected $21 million into the region in July and August when this was traditionally a low season for international visitors.
“By wrapping campaign activations around the five games hosted in Kirikiriroa, we were able to encourage the attendees to explore and extend their stay in our region.”
The Ruakuri Cave in Waitomo. Photo / Shaun Jeffers
MBIE Tourism Evidence and Insights manager Amapola Generosa said the increase in annual spending was mostly explained by an increase in international tourism.
At a district level, Hamilton City received the largest share of the visitor spend, $1.05 billion.
Hamilton mayor Paula Southgate said this was “fantastic” news.
“It is a real credit to our city. Hamilton has so much to offer – with a thriving cultural and dining precinct, colourful street art and award-winning gardens.
“Hamilton Kirikiriroa is a great place to visit, relax and do business – and we hope to see this continue.”
Some of the growing number of themed gardens at Hamilton Gardens.
“I’ve been advocating to establish an official Great Walk across the Kaimai Ranges. Great Walks are world-renowned and a beautiful way to see what New Zealand has to offer.”
He said there was also further potential in the “natural beauty of the Waikato River”.
The Zuru Nightglow in Hamilton, the closing event of the annual Balloons Over Waikato Festival. Photo / Danielle Zollickhofer
“And Rotorua is doing a good job of providing cultural experiences... With Huntly and Ngāruawāhia in the Waikato, there could be an opportunity for [us] to showcase that as well.”
The spending statistics are from the MBIE’s Monthly Regional Tourism Estimates, which provide estimates of tourism expenditure based on tourism electronics card transaction data, tourism satellite account data, and international visitor survey data.
How much money did visitors spend in Waikato districts?
In the 12 months to October 2023, visitors spend the most money in Hamilton.
