International tourism grows 7.5 per cent as summer approaches

The Government has welcomed new data showing healthy growth in international visitor numbers and rising confidence across the tourism industry.

“International tourism, as New Zealand’s second-highest export earner, is a key part of our economic recovery,” says Tourism and Hospitality Minister Louise Upston.

“So it is great to see that international visitor arrivals in August were up 7.5 per cent from the same time last year. With summer around the corner, we are making steady progress towards our goal of returning to pre-Covid visitor levels, now sitting at 88 per cent of December 2019 numbers.

“More visitors mean more full tables in our restaurants, more bookings in our hotels, more people visiting our regions and attractions, and more jobs being created across the country.”

The latest International Travel and Migration (ITM) data from Statistics New Zealand shows that of the 230,300 international visitor arrivals in August 2025, 52 per cent were from Australia, 9 per cent from China, and 5 per cent from the United States.

“These positive statistics reflect what the tourism industry is seeing first-hand,” Louise says. “A Tourism Industry Aotearoa survey released today also shows 86 per cent of tourism organisations feeling confident about the year ahead — up 11 per cent on last year’s results.

“We know the benefits a thriving tourism and hospitality sector brings to our economy, supporting local regions and communities. That’s why our Government has been making a series of investments this year to boost demand and position New Zealand as a go-to destination for people considering their next holiday.”