Kāpiti Coast's share of regional tourism spend on the rise

A new report commissioned by the Kāpiti Coast District Council shows our district's share of tourism spend is growing.

The report prepared by Marketview compares eftpos and credit card transaction data from Kāpiti retailers over the five year period from January 2011 to December 2016.
Economic Development Manager Sarah Todd says tourism spend accounts for around 30% of all spending in the district, with the majority of this spend coming from domestic tourism.

"Domestic tourism accounts for 95% of all tourism spend in Kāpiti, with visitors from inside the Wellington region accounting for 54% of the district's domestic tourism spend. However, visitors from other parts of New Zealand spend more while they are here; $87.9 million per year compared $54.4 million per year.

"This tells us that more and more Kiwis are keen to explore the Kāpiti Coast and we'll be working with the business community, tourism operators and accommodation providers to make sure we continue to attract and grow our share of visitors to our district," Ms Todd said.

Day trippers account for 41% of the district's total tourism spend while visitors who stay between two and seven days account for 31% of tourism spend.

Most of the district's tourism spend comes from people aged over forty but in recent years there has been a steady increase in tourism spend from people aged between 25 and 39 years of age.

Kāpiti food and liquor outlets claim 24% of visitor spend, with people aged between 40 and 54 more likely to spend their money on food and liquor and in the district's bars, cafés and restaurants.

Ms Todd says the report provides the Council with a deeper understanding of the types of visitors that come to Kāpiti, what they do when they are here, how long they stay and how much they spend.

"This will help inform future visitor attraction activity and will assist businesses in growing their niche markets and targeting their marketing efforts," said Ms Todd.
To view the Marketview report visit www.kapiticoast.govt.nz/Economic-Profile