New figures from Statistics New Zealand indicate the tourism industry is increasingly robust.
Queenstown Photo: 123rf
The figures show the number of people staying overnight in paid holiday accommodation rose 7.1 percent in December 2014 compared with a year earlier.
They show Canterbury and Otago were the main contributers to this growth but all 12 regional areas showed some increase.
North Island guest-night figures were up 5.2 percent, and South Island guest-nights rose 9.9 percent.
The survey covers hotels, motels, backpacker accommodation, and holiday parks.