How Attractive is Wellington? A Study of Visitors to New Zealand's Capital City

This exploratory study seeks to broaden the understanding in the area of destination image, examining several dimensions related to visitors' experience in Wellington, including travellers' length of stay in the city, their expenditure within the city, and comparisons between domestic and international visitors. During August and September of 2006, 817 questionnaires were directly distributed among visitors travelling by ferry to and from Wellington; 353 responses were obtained. The apparent limited motivation noticed among visitors to invest long periods of time and to spend more heavily during their visit will affect the revenue potential of many businesses, including those within the tourism and hospitality sectors. These results emphasize the need for the continued efforts of tourism stakeholders and marketing bodies to improve Wellington's image and to attract quality visitors for longer periods of time.