NZ: High-end Bottom of the World Destination

Turning conventional wisdom upside down New York Times finds that:”isolation, long an obstacle to international tourism, has become a plus in the post-Sept. 11 world. New Zealand, long promoted as clean and green, is now adding “safe.” NZ tourism is booming on the back of Lord of the Rings and the America’s Cup buzz. “Long stereotyped as a big green farm with 30 sheep for each of its nearly 4 million inhabitants, New Zealand has become in recent years a high-end boutique travel destination. Last year foreign tourism brought in about $2.5 billion, displacing the fabled lamb exports as the top earner of foreign exchange.[…] In the summer … there won’t be enough seats on planes to New Zealand.”