Tourists spending $1.8b in the Bay

International visitors spent $613 million in the Bay, with domestic visitors spending $1.2 billion. File photo.

Tourists have spent $1.8 billion in the Bay of Plenty in the last year.

Latest figures by Monthly Regional Tourism Estimates released by MBIE, show that visitor spending in the Bay of Plenty went up six per cent for the year to July 2017.

MBIE's Manager of Sector Trends Mark Gordon says international visitor spending made up $613 million of Bay of Plenty's total, an increase of eight per cent compared with the year to July 2016.

Domestic visitor spending also recorded at $1.2 billion, an increase of four per cent.

'Monthly expenditure for July 2017 rose four per cent in Bay of Plenty compared with July 2016,” says Mark.

'Like most regions, Bay of Plenty saw a bump in United Kingdom visitor spending during the DHL NZ Lions Series.”

'When compared with July 2016, local spending in July 2017 from this market rose 119 per cent to $4.6 million.”

MBIE developed the Monthly Regional Tourism Estimates in consultation with tourism industry representatives to create a better measurement of the value of tourism by region.

'Visitor spending information for the regions helps inform investment and planning in the tourism industry by providing insight into where both domestic and international tourists are spending their money,” says Mark.

'Our figures are based on card transaction data. Users can filter the data to get the information they need, including breaking it down by year, key areas within regions, country of origin, and tourism product groupings such as accommodation, transport and retail sales.”

MBIE has recently released a user guide providing information on how the estimates are calculated and how they should be interpreted.

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6 comments

Impressive figures - Bloody good to hear

Posted on 01-09-2017 08:44 | By Papamoaner

Tourism is gradually replacing our primary industry which is finite if the planet is to keep supporting us. There are very serious climate change warnings going on all around us at present both here and overseas, and let's not forget Tauranga is a low-lying area. Tourism will be our primary industry if we are to survive long term. Tourism? Hell, I can already feel an interactive museum coming on. Donning my hard hat and plastic underpants for incoming mortar fire!


The Facts

Posted on 01-09-2017 10:06 | By Accountable

The facts are that these figures are based on the income generated by Rotorua and not on Tauranga. We are very involved in the tourism industry and we can assure you that the Lions tour was a non event and the tourism gains are not happening in Tauranga even though the Council owned organisation Tourism Bay of Plenty will try and tell you otherwise.


they come because

Posted on 01-09-2017 14:31 | By Captain Sensible

Tourists come here despite Tourism BOP, not because of them.


Split by council area....

Posted on 01-09-2017 14:31 | By jed

Would be better if they can split figures by each council area... wbop, tauranga, whakatane, rotorua. I'd imagine rotorua captures the lions share of international tourist revenue. Council has ensured there simply is not much to do in Tauranga. They'll never allow developments that would actually attract tourist as this usually involves iwi.


Contradictions abound jed,

Posted on 01-09-2017 16:11 | By R. Bell

IWI are deeply involved in Rotorua, have been for yonks. Go figure jed. Robin Bell.


OK, fair enough.

Posted on 01-09-2017 16:26 | By Papamoaner

Can't argue with those comments, so let's fix it. Long overdue.


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