New Zealand is increasingly looking like one of the best country's to visit in 2012, as new awards continue to embellish the south Pacific destination.
Revered travellers guide Lonely Planet most recently sung New Zealand's praises when it picked the country's Southern Lakes as one of the 'Top 10 Regions to Visit in 2012'.
New Zealand, or Aotearoa, as it is known by the Maori, also picked up the top "global eco-tourism destination" at the World Traveller and Viagens e Turismo tourism awards in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, reports Breaking Travel News.
It additionally was chosen as the second favourite global destination by Telegraph readers back in October's Telegraph Travel Awards, while it came third most satisfying in a poll by Wanderlust (UK) travel magazine.
Testament to the accolades, new figures released by the country's tourism authority, Tourism New Zealand, reveal that the island had a healthy winter season at the end of last year; even if its overall performance in 2011 was inconsistent.
The North and South islands, both of which are easily toured by hire car, had their first boost during the Rugby World Cup last year when an estimate 133,000 visitors landed.
eTravelBlackboard.com then reports that in the month of December, arrivals hit a massive 364,165, representing an increase of 5.4 percent year-on-year. In total, 2.6 million visitors visited New Zealand in 2011, up three percent from 2010.
Tourism New Zealand's chief executive Kevin Bowler said that the county had Australian and Asian visitors to thank, adding that as 2012 "gets into full swing", the country continues to expect "strong performances" from these same markets.