Statistics New Zealand today released new figures under the Tourism Satellite Account (TSA): 2009, reporting 1.1 per cent increase in spending to $21.7 billion in the year ended March 2009.

The report gave its credit to Kiwi holidaymakers whose spending worked well to stimulate domestic expenditure to $12.4 billion.

Tim Cossar, the Chief Executive of Tourism Industry Association (TIA) welcomed encouraging tourism figures and hoped that it would have far reaching results for the industry which suffer huge loss in the past due to decline in tourism activities.

Cossar said, "The domestic market was stronger than many had been expecting, given that New Zealand was in recession, and highlights its importance to the industry in terms of diversifying risk."

Cossar added that international visitor's arrivals declined under the impact of global slowdown causing 0.9% drop in visitors in the year ending March 09 to $9.3 billion.