International visitors have been spending up large in New Zealand.

The latest International Visitor Survey shows in the three months to the end of September, overseas visitors spent more than $1 billion.

The survey shows holidaymakers spent $479 million,  while visitors here to see friends or relatives spent nearly $300 million.

The regions benefited as well, with the Tourism Electronic Card Transactions spend,  higher in eight regions than October 2019 levels pre-Covid.

Tourism Minister Stuart Nash says the injection into the economy is likely to increase, as more international visitors travel over summer.

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