The Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment’s latest monthly regional tourism estimates shows big growth in tourism spending in Canterbury and Gisborne.
Tourist spending in Gisborne for the year-to-December 2018 grew 16 percent , largely driven by domestic tourists who were responsible for $133 million of the $165 million spent in the region.
Canterbury had an 11 percent increase over the previous year, reaching just under $4 billion in its total tourist spend year-to-December 2018.
Tasman was the only region to experience a negative trend in visitor spending last year, as its total tourist spending decreased by 2 percent.
Auckland, Northland and the West Coast remained stagnant with less than 1 percent change.
