Spending by international students and visitors in New Zealand fell 239-million dollars in the year to March 2020, compared with the year to December 2019

Stats NZ says it's an early sign of the impact of Covid-19 on the sector.

International students and visitors faced travel restrictions in the first three months of this year, especially those coming from China.

International statistics senior manager Peter Dolan says we'll see the full impact on tourism and travel services in the coming quarters.

In contrast, dairy exports were up 396 million dollars in the year to March 2020.