New Zealand saw a nearly 5 percent rise in tourism revenue for the year through March 2007 to a record of more than 15 billion U.S dollars, and the government says the increase is due to the island nation's pristine environment.
The tourism sector was responsible for some 9.2 percent of the nation's gross domestic product in the year, government funded Statistics New Zealand reported. The industry supports 9.7 percent of New Zealand's total work force, or 181,000 full-time equivalent jobs, it said.
Spending by both domestic and international tourists rose 4.7 percent to 15.3 billion dollars in the year ended March 31, 2007. New Zealand is known for its rugged mountains and wilderness areas made famous by the "Lord of the Rings" movies.
International visitors increased 2.8 percent to 2.5 million in the year to March 2007, following a decrease of 0.4 percent in the year ended March 2006.
New Zealand's ability to compete internationally depends on "ensuring we are environmentally, economically, socially and culturally sustainable," Tourism Minister Damien O'Connor said in a statement.
"Doing what we can to protect our environment will also reward us financially, ensuring the economic sustainability of the tourism industry and New Zealand as a whole," he said.
Source:Xinhua/Agencies
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