Dunedin's cruise spending topped US$60 million last season, up 26 per cent, as the national figure increased by 28%. The NZ port city received the 2nd most cruise passengers following Auckland, with a total of 238,000, up 32 per cent on the previous year.
Stats NZ revealed that cruise spending hit US$570 million in the year ended June 2019. That figure includes the national spend by cruise passengers of over US$370 million, a ship spend, such as the likes of fuel, of over US$145 million, and GST of US$54 million.
According to Stats NZ, the US$125.2 million lift in annual cruise spending reflects a surge in the number of cruises, port calls, and travellers. This followed an 11% increase for June 2018.
Cruise spending had increased every year since 2015, but the annual increase during the latest 12 months was the largest in both percentage and dollar terms, national accounts senior manager Gary Dunnet revealed.
In June 2019, New Zealand Cruise Association recorded a total of 176 cruises and 981 port visits, up from 148 and 707 respectively in 2018. Around 322,000 cruise tourists visited NZ in the June 2019, up 24% (62,000) from 2018.
Dunedin and Auckland had the biggest number of cruisers - Auckland 239,000 (up 13% / 28,000) and Dunedin 238,000 (up 32% / 58,000).