When you are out and about, researching a place to buy that new property in New Zealand, are you sure that part of you is not on the lookout for a Hobbit?

Jokes aside, the fact is that tourism has increased dramatically in New Zealand since the making of the trilogy, Lord of the Rings (LOTR), by New Zealander Peter Jackson. And with the filming of the prequel, The Hobbit, this trend looks set to continue.

Jackson and his team searched the country to find locations that would fit the bill: the rolling hills of Matamata became Hobbiton, the volcanic region of Mt. Ruapehu was the fiery Mt. Doom where Sauron forged The Ring and Queenstown was the setting for a number of scenes in the film, and fans are queuing up to visit them.

New Zealand travel companies have seized the opportunity and now arrange tours of LOTR related places, plus a new venture is in place, with Peter Jackson and partners arranging trips that will allow visitors onto the Hobbit film set.

Tourism New Zealand figures show that visitor numbers to New Zealand increased by an average of 7 per cent a year directly after the films were released and that in 2004 alone the estimated expenditure of those who visited because of the film was $32.8 million.

Personally, I think they were hoping to catch a glimpse of the magnetic Viggo Mortensen, but hey, that’s just my opinion.

To understand the full step-by-step process to buying a property in New Zealand, collect The Overseas Guides Company’s ‘New Zealand Property Buying Guide’