A record number of tourists visited the Cook Islands in 2016 with visitor numbers increasing by 17 percent on the year before.
A Cook Islands beach. Photo: 123rf
The country welcomed a total of 146,473 visitors last year.
The leading market for tourists, New Zealand, was up 18 percent while the strongest growth was in visitors from Japan at 76 percent.
A study last year showed the need for the sector to change its approach and focus on having people staying longer and spending more.
