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New Zealand’s hotel sector recorded its strongest summer performance in two years, with national revenue per available room (RevPAR) rising 10.2 percent across December 2025 and January 2026.
January alone delivered a 10.7 per cent year-on-year RevPAR increase — the highest monthly growth recorded in the past 24 months.
The uplift was supported by improving international arrivals, domestic travel strength and standout performances in Queenstown, Auckland and Christchurch.
International visitor arrivals increased 6 per cent across December and January compared with the same period a year earlier, led by Australia (up 10 per cent) and China (up 11 per cent). Despite this, total non-resident arrivals remained about 4 per cent below 2019 levels.
South Island gateways outperform
Christchurch and Queenstown airports captured most of the inbound growth. International arrivals through Christchurch rose 16.3 per cent year-on-year and Queenstown increased 13.8 per cent, compared with 2.2 per cent growth at Auckland Airport. Christchurch accounted for 39 per cent of incremental growth in non-resident arrivals and Queenstown 24 per cent.
Christchurch hotels posted an 11.3 per cent RevPAR increase over the two months, driven primarily by a 9.7 per cent lift in average daily rate (ADR) and occupancy of around 84 per cent.
Queenstown sets new benchmarks
Queenstown remained the strongest-performing market. December delivered the city’s highest-ever RevPAR at NZ$371, followed by NZ$369 in January. Combined RevPAR growth reached 15.4 per cent year-on-year, supported by a 5.2 per cent rise in room nights and a 9.7 per cent increase in ADR.
Occupancy across all categories averaged about 86 per cent for the period. On New Year’s Eve, hotels achieved 91 per cent occupancy at an ADR of NZ$733, up 24 per cent on the previous year.
Premium inventory continued to outperform, with four-and-a-half and five-star properties achieving ADR highs of NZ$534 in December and maintaining rates approximately 55 per cent above three- and four-star hotels.
Auckland returns to pre-COVID levels
Auckland hotels recorded an 11 per cent RevPAR increase over December–January, with January RevPAR reaching NZ$178 — the highest January result on record and the first time in 28 months RevPAR has exceeded pre-COVID levels.
Growth was primarily occupancy-driven, supported by a strong events calendar including the Jehovah’s Witnesses convention, two Ed Sheeran concerts and the ASB Classic tennis tournament.
Five-star hotels averaged around 82 per cent occupancy during the period, compared with 76 per cent for four-and-a-half-star properties.
Rotorua and Wellington mixed but improving
Rotorua recorded its highest January RevPAR on record at NZ$195, with December ADR reaching a record NZ$239. While occupancy was slightly lower year-on-year, performance appears increasingly driven by rate management rather than volume growth.
Wellington delivered a mixed performance, with January boosted by the Ed Sheeran concert on January 21. Hotels achieved 88 per cent occupancy that night at an ADR of NZ$285, lifting monthly RevPAR by an estimated 4 per cent.
