The amount of international and domestic travellers visiting and spending money in New Zealand cities this winter is growing.
A Mastercard survey showed that New Zealand cities had more international visitors during the winter months. Queenstown had the largest share of hotel accommodation domestic spending growth in 2017, with peaks in April and August.
The data also showed that New Zealand's nearest neighbours Australia made up 40 percent of tourists entering the country, followed by China (11 percent) and the US (8 percent).
The survey also showed that credit cards remain the preferred payment method for international travellers (61 percent), as it’s safer than cash (47 percent) and also more convenient (29 percent).
Activities international tourists are engaging with the most are entertainment (95 percent), sightseeing (33 percent) and shopping (19 percent).
“Across the world, international travel is growing at an incredible rate. In New Zealand, tourism is one of our most important industries, so it’s vital to understand where tourists are coming from and what they are doing while visiting so local Kiwi businesses can make the most of these tourists and offer them a fantastic experience,” said Ruth Riviere, Mastercard Country Manager for New Zealand and the Pacific Islands.
“We also see a steady growth in online shopping both domestically and internationally. Things like accommodation bookings, flights, tickets and experiences can be booked online – providing different options for travellers to either book ahead of their trip or make last-minute plans once they are in the country.”
