Hobbit lovers are putting Matamata on the tourist map.
New figures show international spending in the home of Hobbiton has risen more than three-fold, from 11 million dollars in 2009 to 37 million.
Regional Tourism Estimates suggest 7.2 billion dollars was spent in New Zealand's regions - up 600 million from lat year.
Auckland's still the dominant destination for both international and domestic visitors, attracting 38 per cent of international spending and 21 per cent of domestic spending in New Zealand.
Another area of growth is the Queenstown-Lakes district.
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