Tourists spending up large

Rugby Cup semi-finals saw a huge boost in tourist spending - up $4.4 million compared to the same three days last year.

As French and Kiwi fans celebrated victory, and Welsh and Australian supporters anguished over their teams' losses, foreign card spending through Paymark's network rose 36.1 per cent.

Predictably Auckland, which hosted both games, reaped the biggest rewards of the semi-final double-header with the region up 69.6 per cent in foreign card payments.

Hospitality providers were out in front, with a $2.7m boost (18.5 per cent) over the weekend. Auckland clothing stores also fared well - a 12.1 per cent rise.

Car rentals were down by 2.8 per cent.

Paymark head of sales and marketing, Paul Whiston, said there were also lifts in other parts of the country.

Although there was no doubt Auckland was in the money due to the World Cup, hospitality - and spending in general - was up also in the Bay of Plenty, Nelson and Otago but that was more likely linked to the delayed school holidays.

He said the Waikato appeared to have catered for an overflow of tourists last weekend, with a 52.6 per cent increase in foreign card spending.

Last weekend pushed total spending on overseas cards through Paymark's network between the World Cup starting and October 16 to $212.5m.

"Let's hope that after the final game has been played our overseas guests opt to stay on and venture outside the main metropolitan centres,'' said Mr Whiston.