Visitor spending grew at a faster rate than visitor arrivals in 2006, with only a slight rise of 0.4 percent in arrivals but a four percent increase in visitor expenditure. In 2006, international tourists spent NZ$6.4 billion in New Zealand compared with NZ$6.1 billion in 2005, according to the International Visitor Survey (compiled by Tourism Research Australia).

Thirty-six percent of all visitor spending in New Zealand during 2006 was paid for with a Visa card, up from 30 percent in 2002. Since 2002, spending face to face on Visa cards by visitors in New Zealand has grown almost four times faster than the overall visitor spend (face to face spending increased by 14.23% while New Zealand spend grew by 3.8%). P>Of Note:

• Out of 10 broad spending categories, international visitors in New Zealand spent a total of the NZ$1,798.5 billion on Visa cards in 2006, an increase of nine percent on 2005. This represented more than three-quarters of all Visa spend in New Zealand, with much of the remaining amount being in the form of cash withdrawals.

• International visitors spent the most on transport, which recorded one of the biggest increases in spend compared to other categories, up by 14 percent following a five percent increase in 2005. Spending on general retail and trade grew by three percent in 2006 following a decline in 2005.

• Other areas to record growth in spend in 2006 included accommodation (up 6.5 percent); sports and leisure (up 11.9 percent); restaurants and food (up 7.7 percent); professional and commercial services (up 13.6 percent); health care (up 26.2 percent); home construction and furnishing (up 9.3 percent); government (up 9.3 percent); and legal and social services (up 13 percent)

• Tourist spending on transport by Visa cardholders in New Zealand continued to grow in 2006 with an increase in spend of 14.2 percent.

• General retail and trade represented 23 percent of all money spent through Visa cards with all spend categories. This was a further decline in share of spend with the 2005 share at 24 percent and in 2004, it was 26 percent of total category spend.

• Accommodation represented 15 percent of all Visa card spending in New Zealand in 2006; restaurants, food and beverages (nine percent); professional and commercial services (four percent); healthcare (three percent); education (two percent); home construction and furnishing (two percent) and government legal and social services (two percent).