Tourism plays a significant role in the Manawatū region economy, although our key visitor markets and motivators are quite different from what you would expect in a traditional tourism destination. Our key visitor markets come to our region for business and conferences, to visit friends and relatives, attend events and for leisure activities.

The region’s greatest strength is in domestic tourism, accounting for an above-average share of domestic day trips and overnight stays by New Zealand residents. Total tourism expenditure in Manawatū increased by 20.5% in the year to June 2021. This compares with an increase of 5.4% in New Zealand. Total tourism expenditure was approximately $312 million in Manawatū during the year to June 2021, which was up from $259 million a year ago.

Discover a range of industry resources and tools for your business, from training webinars to data and insights, marketing updates and opportunities, and access to key regional imagery and videos through our Manawatū Visual Library.