Wellington attractions welcome rising visitor numbers

Wellington City Council’s business operations have exceeded performance expectations during the summer months.

Eco-sanctuary Zealandia continues to be increasingly popular with tourists and in the January-March quarter more than 42,000 people visited, up 14% on the same time last year, with 57% of visitors coming from outside the Wellington.

Visitation through Experience Wellington’s suite of attractions was up on budget by 38,068 and the Zoo performed strongly with visitation ahead of plan.

Numbers were also up by more than 35,000 for the Cable Car on the same period last year - the city’s second most popular attraction after Te Papa.

Wellington experienced a positive tourist season with visitor spending exceeded $2.5 billion in the year to February for the first time.

Wellington Councillor Simon Marsh, who holds the Economic Development portfolio, explained “one pillar of our economic strategy is tourist attraction and when Wellington has a tourist boom, the Council’s businesses can be part of that boom.

“The Council’s businesses are doing well and when they are attracting tourists those tourists are also spending with local businesses.”

Wellington Mayor Justin Lester says the Wellington Regional Economic Development Agency (WREDA) has played a large role in this success, adding “their marketing of the city attracts acts, conferences, businesses and tourists to Wellington and this means jobs for Wellingtonians.

“That helps bring that buzz to the capital which makes it such a great place to visit.”

Janury to March quarter figures: 

Zealandia
42,151 visitors, up 14 per cent on same quarter in 2017.
8,174 people took a guided tour, up 38%.

Cable Car
391,285 passengers, up 35,701 on the same quarter in 2017.

Wellington Zoo
68,861 visitors, 13,664 more than the same time last year. 

Images: Takehe at Zealandia (top) and Sumatran tiger at Wellington Zoo (below).

13th March 2018 - WELLINGTON CITY COUNCIL TO INVEST IN ‘DECADE OF CULTURE’

20th December 2017 - NEW DIRECTORS APPOINTED TO WREDA BOARD

30th September 2017 - WELLINGTON ZOO PLANTS 500 ECO-SOURCED PLANTS IN RESTORATION SITE

29th April 2016 - SUMMER EVENTS ATTRACT RECORD VISITOR NUMBERS TO WELLINGTON

1st April 2016 - WELLINGTON CITY COUNCIL ACQUIRES ZEALANDIA VISITOR CENTRE AS PAYMENT FOR LOAN

4th January 2016 - ZEALANDIA LINKS WITH SWITCHED ON BIKES TO OFFER SUSTAINABLE TRANSPORT ALTERNATIVE

24th September 2015 - NEW WELLINGTON AGENCY AIMS TO BOOST CITY’S PROSPERITY 

5th May 2015 - ZEALANDIA ACKNOWLEDGES 20 YEARS OF VOLUNTEER BACKING

1st December 2013 - NEW ADMISSION CHARGES LEAD TO 49% RISE IN VISITATION AT WELLINGTON’S ZEALANDIA

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