Economic benefits of Marlborough wine festival tallied

Visitors to Marlborough for the region’s biggest party spent more than $1.3 million and contributed almost $800,000 to the region’s gross domestic product. The first economic impact report for this year’s Marlborough Wine & Food Festival, held in February, was released on Friday and shows the economic impact the event has on the region. More than 7800 people attended the event this year, including 230 organisers, 620 staff and 6970 attendees.