Tourism boosts NZ service sector

New Zealand’s service sector rose by up to 1.5 points last month, recovering after February’s Christchurch quake.The 52.6 figure in April was the highest since last September, signaling a return in travel confidence to the region, NZ Herald reported.

"Both the Canterbury/Westland and Otago/Southland regions improved from their severe level of contraction in March, with the former actually leading the way in terms of regional expansion for April," Business New Zealand chief executive Phil O'Reilly said.

According to Business New Zealand economist Craig Ebert, the country’s recovery will continue to experience growth over the coming months, particularly as the country prepares to host the Rugby World Cup later this year.

“The next test for in-bound tourism will be the winter (ski) season, followed by the Rugby World Cup in the Spring," Mr Ebert said."The big test for the industry will be the path of the global economy over the coming years."

Source = etravelblackboard.co.nz