Supercars spend-up

Fans line up to welcome Supercars to Taupō.

Supercars estimates its first double header in Taupō and Christchurch resulted in a visitor spend of $21.4 million.

It commissioned an economic analysis that showed international and domestic visitors spent about $9.5 million in Christchurch and $7.9 million in Taupō, while international visitors spent a further $4.0 million elsewhere in New Zealand.

The Double Header attracted about 3,000 international visitors, who spent $9.3 million during their stay and generated more than 34,000 international visitor nights across the country.

Supercars Executive Chairman Barclay Nettlefold said the results validated the vision behind creating the Championship's first New Zealand Double Header.

"The passion shown by fans in both Taupō and Christchurch was extraordinary, and we're incredibly proud to have delivered a successful first Double Header across both islands,” Nettlefold said.

"From the outset, our ambition was to create something bigger than two standalone race weekends. We wanted to give fans a reason to travel, stay longer and experience more of New Zealand while delivering meaningful economic outcomes for our partners and host cities.”

Minister for Tourism and Hospitality Louise Upston says the results highlight the importance of major events in driving regional growth and international visitation.

“Major events like these attract visitors, support local businesses, and help grow our tourism economy,” said Minister Upston.

Taupō District Mayor John Funnell says the numbers show why Supercars is such an important event for the Taupō District.

He says the double-header format encouraged visitors to stay longer, benefitting local businesses and helping showcase the district.

Taupō District Council chief executive Julie Gardyne says it was a “strong return” for the community and reinforces the district’s reputation as a premier events destination.

Christchurch Mayor Phil Mauger says the city's inaugural Supercars event had exceeded expectations.

"As a long-time follower of Supercars, it's hard to express just how fantastic it was to welcome the event to Christchurch, both for our city and our local motorsport community,” Mauger said.

“Seeing fans turn out in force, enjoying the racing at Ruapuna while supporting local businesses across the city, was incredibly rewarding.

“We're thrilled to provide Supercars with a home in Christchurch as part of our world-class events calendar and look forward to building on this success in the years ahead."

Despite Sunday’s racing in Taupō being cancelled due to Cyclone Vaianu, the two events welcomed over 95,000 through the gates across five days of on-track action, including sellouts on Saturday and Sunday in Christchurch.

Dates for next year’s New Zealand Double Header will be announced in the coming months.