Tourism Industry Aotearoa yesterday released figures to December last year showing a national spend from New Zealand's main export earner of close to $35billion, along with a call to the next government to protect the environment that tourists come to see.
It also called on that government to give more funding to the Department of Conservation (Doc) to allow it to do its job, a job tourism relied on.
The figures show the Clutha-Southland electorate, which includes Queenstown and Fiordland, took $2.49 billion in earnings, and Waitaki, which includes Wanaka and the South Canterbury high country, took more than a $1 billion.
Even Dunedin South, with an area that extends south to Henley and inland to north of Middlemarch, had $178 million in tourism earnings a year.
The figures were released at the Trenz conference in Auckland, where tourism operators from across Otago joined others from around the country, selling their wares to overseas buyers.
TIA chief executive Chris Roberts said the figures, taken from credit card and electronic transaction data, were put together by the tourism industry body because the spend had never been calculated by electorate.
''I think what it shows is there is no non-tourism part of New Zealand.
''There is a significant tourism spend in every single electorate across the country.''
Mr Roberts said he hoped the figures would generate debate, in an election year, about what was being spent in people's electorate.
He hoped it would also make MPs and potential MPs aware of the issue.
''They need to be thinking tourism.
''They may not consider they are in a tourism location, but have a look at the numbers; there's a significant tourism spend happening right in your neck of the woods.''
Mr Roberts earlier said tourism spending was up 12.2% in total, and international tourism was up 19.6%
Domestic tourism was worth $20.2billion and international $14.6billion.
There were 188,000 people working in the industry, and 332,000 working ''directly or indirectly''.
The GST dividend to the Government was $400million last year, and more than $1billion in the past four years.
Mr Roberts released a ''tourism election manifesto'' calling on the next government to work towards a sustainable industry, invest in infrastructure and support tourism.
He said New Zealand's natural environment was its tourism product, the main reason people came to the country.
For the industry to be sustainable the country needed to protect and enhance that environment.
The TIA also called on the Government to invest more in infrastructure.
The tourism boom was placing pressure on the capacity of the industry at peak times, and in some places.
One area in need of work noted in the manifesto was Doc.
The TIA called on the Government to ''provide a sustainable funding model to ensure Doc remains a significant contributor and enabler of the visitor experience without compromising its core role of growing conservation''.
Doc was ''a highly valued participant in the tourism industry''.
''Hundreds of tourism operators rely on access to public conservation land in order to operate their businesses.''
A new mix of funding options and mechanisms was needed to capitalise on tourism opportunities, while protecting landscapes and species.
Mr Roberts said the environment, clean water and a predator-free New Zealand were all important issues for his organisation.
He wanted Doc to get more funding, and move away from the one-off funding model for projects.
