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Early signs of travel disruption are appearing for New Zealand’s tourism sector as rising conflict in the Middle East impacts key airline routes, but the business events industry is, for now, holding steady.
A snapshot survey from the Tourism Export Council of New Zealand (TECNZ) shows 77% of inbound operators are experiencing cancellations from UK and European markets for March and April travel, largely due to disrupted routes through Gulf hubs like Dubai and Doha. Some operators are reporting immediate losses of up to $300,000.
However, Business Events Industry Aotearoa (BEIA) chief executive Lisa Hopkins says the picture is less clear for conferences and incentives.
“We’re not aware of a widespread impact to this point… the sentiment is currently ‘watch and wait,’” Hopkins said, noting only anecdotal delegate cancellations so far.
For now, the disruption appears short-term with little impact to the 2026/2027 season, but the sector is watching closely.
