According to Tourism Association statistics, nearly 118,000 people work in hotels, restaurants, shops, travel agencies and other related tourism agencies. With a growth rate of 6% per year in the global tourism industry, demand for new tourism services reached 1,178,000 in New Zealand in 2010. The tourism industry is one of the major industries in the New Zealand economy. More than 150,000 people are engaged in industries directly or indirectly related to the tourism sector. An analysis by the Directorate of Tourism Specialty Employment in New Zealand shows that more than 2.5 million foreign visitors visited New Zealand each year, and domestic and foreign tourists contributed more than $20 billion NZD to the New Zealand economy each year in 2010. However, visitor numbers to New Zealand surpassed the 3.5 million mark with total arrivals growing by 11% for the year ending January 2017. Brighid Kelly, Acting Chief Executive of Tourism New Zealand, said the numbers show how popular New Zealand has become as a destination. result for our sector. International tourism is incredibly competitive. Such a good year demonstrates how desirable New Zealand is as a destination and how powerful our brand is.”(Tourismnewzealand.com.