Hobbit tourism top foreign cash source

In New Zealand there are twice as many cows as people, but it's the hobbits that are really making hay.

According to figures released on Wednesday, tourism has overtaken dairy as the nation's top earner of overseas dollars. And tourism officials say the success of the fantasy movie trilogy The Hobbit has helped.

The dairy industry is struggling to recover from a slump in prices, while a record 3.4 million visitors arrived in New Zealand in the year ending September. The country is particularly popular among tourists from Australia, China and the United States.