This Content Is Only For Subscribers
The latest tourism data release from Statistics NZ shows international tourism generated a total of $12.2 billion in the year ending December 2024; up 23 per cent compared to the previous year. This reaffirms tourism as the second highest export earner, behind dairy.
In the December 2024 quarter alone, international tourism contributed $3.2 billion to New Zealand’s economy, a 20 per cent increase from the same quarter in 2023.
The annual growth in visitor spending closely aligned with the increase in arrivals over the year. The number of visitors who tend to spend more, particularly those from China and those coming for holiday or business, has continued to rise.
In contrast, the proportion of lower spending visitors, such as those from Australia and people staying with family and relatives, has declined.
Visitors from Germany had the highest total median spend per visitor at $6293 ‒ 0.3 per cent more than 2019 levels when adjusted for inflation. Visitors from China recorded the highest median daily spend at $368.
Visitor arrivals is now at 85 per cent of pre-pandemic levels. This aligns with the visitor spend for the year ending December 2024, which is at 86 per cent of 2019 levels ($9.9 billion) when taking inflation into account.
