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Australian visitors have returned to New Zealand in high numbers, as recent Stats NZ data for the year ending August 2024 shows a strong recovery in visitor arrivals from across the Tasman.
Total arrivals from Australia reached more than 1.32 million, a 6.5 per cent increase from the previous year. New Zealand’s affordability and variety of experiences continue to attract Australians, with many visitors drawn for holidays, visiting friends and relatives, and conferences or conventions.
The average stay length for Australians is 7.4 days, with many opting for shorter trips of one to seven days. Auckland, Queenstown, and Christchurch airports remain key entry points, each seeing a significant increase in arrivals. Sydney, Melbourne, and Brisbane were the primary Australian departure cities, with Brisbane showing the largest jump in visitor numbers, up by 19.1 per cent.
Tourism Industry Aotearoa says New Zealand is an affordable destination for our Australian neighbours. “We support the ability of the industry to offer quality experiences across a range of travel styles and budgets as our Australian visitors consider their travel options.”
The data also highlights New Zealand’s appeal to a broad age range and various travel purposes, positioning the tourism industry for continued growth if accessibility and diverse travel options remain priorities for visitors across budgets and travel styles.
In addition, Money.com.au carried out a recent survey that revealed nearly one-third (31 per cent) of Australians take up to a year to set aside enough funds for a trip. Another 29 per cent of travellers save for up to six months before jetting off, while 18 per cent spend longer than a year saving for a big trip. Just over one in ten Aussies (13 per cent) manage to save for a holiday in less than three months.
Money.com.au finance expert, Sean Callery says a 10-day trip to New Zealand was more expensive than an equivalent trip to Bali, Thailand, or China, despite being closer. This suggests that New Zealand is generally more expensive to travel to than those destinations, so Aussies will need more savings for NZ.
