The overall one per cent increase in visitor numbers to the Western Bay of Plenty this February may not seem much – but crunching the numbers reveals a huge boon for the region.
Measured by Statistics New Zealand, the increase is from 300,000 guest nights spent in the region in February 2009 to 303,000 guest nights spent in February this year.

Where the numbers diverge though is in the breakdown of international visitors compared with domestic visitors.
International guest nights were up 14 per cent, 17,000, while domestic visitor numbers were down eight per cent, 14,000.
Tourism Bay of Plenty general manager Tim Burgess says having the international visitor numbers increase like this means significant financial reward.
'The international visitors spend twice as much than domestic ones,” says Tim.
'This is an excellent result for the city and the region.”
The calculated average spends are: an international visitor will spend on average $440 per day compared with a domestic visitor spending an average of $220 per day.
Applying these average spend amounts to the guest night breakdown indicate the region profited by $440,000 more in February 2010 than it did in February 2009.
Tim attributes the growth in international visitor numbers to good input from overseas agents and an emphasis on both online marketing and more traditional methods of advertising such as using flyers with rental car companies.