The Tourism Minister says hitting more markets will pay off in the long-term. 

The Government has pumped $13.5 million into Tourism New Zealand for marketing the country as a holiday destination. 

Louise Upston says efforts this year to promote to the Australian market are already paying off. 

She says there's room for growth. 

"We're only at 86 percent of the number of visitors we had back in 2019 - so there's lots of capacity."

LISTEN ABOVE