New Zealand Customs Minister Nicky Wagner says mid-winter marks the end of another successful yacht season, with many of the remaining international yachts departing at the end of last month. "57 superyachts visited between April 2014 and March 2015 , compared with 37 during the previous season. This is the highest number of superyacht visits since we hosted the America's Cup in 2000," Ms Wagner said. Overall, customs has cleared 620 arriving yachts since last spring. Marine Industry Executive Director Peter Busfield says the tourism and marine industry spend is huge. "It varies from yacht to yacht, but on average we believe that a visiting super yacht will provide $4 million on expenditure in New Zealand," he said.
