Dollar, low fares tempt more Kiwis to travel

Dollar, low fares tempt more Kiwis to travel

The lure of low-cost airfares and the strong dollar are enticing New Zealanders overseas — and they are spending more while away.

Figures issued this week by Statistics New Zealand show that New Zealanders spent $3 billion during overseas holidays and business trips in the June year — equivalent to nearly half of the country's balance of payments deficit for the period. The figure was up slightly on the previous year.

The balance of payments is a record of New Zealand's transactions with the rest of the world, and includes the imports and exports of goods and services.