Tourism New Zealand is again celebrating increased visitor numbers from the UK, despite a particularly hard year for the global travel industry. Year-end April statistics show that overall international visitor numbers are up by 9.1 per cent on 2002 � with UK visitors totalling 246,248.

Figures for the month of April 2003 are considerably high. 19,360 UK visitors came to New Zealand last month, up 47.3 per cent, mainly due to Easter falling within this time. This increase also shows that visitors are no longer choosing to visit New Zealand only in high season (December to February). New Zealand is also increasingly being regarded as a �safe destination� that has a decreased risk of terrorism and SARS, which has blighted the rest of the travel market over the last few months.

Interest in New Zealand is set to continue with the final instalment of The Lord of the Rings trilogy being released in December 2003. Tom Cruise has also recently finished filming in location in Taranaki for The Last Samurai and Gwyneth Paltrow has been in Dunedin filming the life story of Sylvia Plath.

New Zealand�s own offering to the film industry, Whale Rider, has already met with world-wide acclaim and has won several prestigious awards at The Sundance and Toronto international film festivals. The story of a young Maori girl�s fight for leadership within her tribe, the film is set on the East coast of the North Island. The UK premi�re of Whale Rider takes place in London on 10th July 2003.

Barry Eddington, Tourism New Zealand�s regional manager UK/Europe, commented: �Tourism New Zealand is of course extremely pleased with the increased visitor figures and we are particularly impressed that UK visitors are now choosing to visit New Zealand in the shoulder seasons, when there are fewer crowds and the climate is more temperate.

�It is extremely rewarding to see our profile rocket, which must partly be due to the country now being regarded as a destination for world renowned film makers. Visitors are now more likely to have seen stunning images of New Zealand�s landscape at the cinema, which has inspired them to visit us and experience it for themselves. The fact that New Zealand is a relatively safe place to visit has also helped us enormously in these tough times.�

Eddington added that the America�s Cup, competitive airfares and positive media coverage have all added to New Zealand�s appeal.

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For further information, please contact: Donna Lewis/Susie Tempest, The Saltmarsh Partnership, tel: 020-7928-1600 or e-mail Susie@saltmarshpr.co.uk