23 Nov 2010

Britons may be delaying trips until Rugby World Cup

10:18 am on 23 November 2010

The number of British tourists coming to New Zealand has fallen, with predictions travellers are delaying their trips until the 2011 Rugby World Cup.

Statistics New Zealand figures show the number of visitors from Britain was down 10.7% last month, the lowest October total in almost 10 years.

Tourism New Zealand chief executive Kevin Bowler says the industry is disappointed by the British market, which he says is suffering from a bad economy.

Mr Bowler says some tourists planning a trip to New Zealand might choose to wait until next year so they could watch the Rugby World Cup.

However, he says overall tourism figures are quite positive, with a 12.7% increase in visitors from Asia this year.