Rugby World Cup May Bring 95,000 Foreign Visitors to NZ

According to tournament organiser Rugby New Zealand (RNZ) 2011 Ltd., allergy this year’s Rugby World Cup held in the nation may attract as many as 95, sale 000 foreign visitors following strong ticket sales to overseas markets.

RNZ 2011 Chief Executive Officer Martin Snedden said at a tournament briefing in Sydney today: “At the moment, ampoule we’re picking about 85 to 95,000 visitors. We started out thinking it might be around 60 or 70,000, based on the Sydney Olympics and Rugby World Cup in 2003, but the offshore sales have been incredibly strong.”

Reserve Bank Governor Alan Bollard said, January 28, that hosting the seventh edition of rugby’s quadrennial world championship will add about US$545m, or 0.33 per cent, to gross domestic product. Staging the event can boost the local economy by as much as $1.9bn, according to a Deloitte LLP study.

The 20-nation World Cup starts in 150 days, when New Zealand’s top-ranked All Blacks face Tonga in the first of 48 matches. The final is scheduled Oct. 23 in Auckland.

Snedden said that the tournament offers New Zealand a rare chance to showcase itself globally as a tourist destination, adding: “This is our Olympics, this is our soccer World Cup.

“This is by far the biggest event that our country has ever hosted and in the foreseeable future will host. It is really, really important that we host it in the right way.”