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Two tourism datasets released today by Stats NZ and MBIE show international tourism continues to deliver significant economic benefits for New Zealand.
The latest International Visitor Survey covers October to December 2025, while the Tourism Satellite Account covers the year ended March 2025. Together, the reports provide a snapshot of recent visitor activity and the broader contribution tourism makes to the economy.
Tourism New Zealand chief executive René de Monchy says the results reinforce the importance of the sector.
“These updates are a good reminder of just how critical an expanding tourism sector is for Aotearoa,” René says.
“The IVS gives us insight into how increasing numbers of international visitors have been engaging with New Zealand in recent months, while the TSA highlights the value tourism delivers across jobs, businesses and communities.”
Tourism Satellite Account — year ended March 2025
The TSA confirms tourism remains New Zealand’s second largest export earner.
Tourism generated a direct contribution to GDP of $18 billion, representing 4.6 per cent of GDP. This was an increase of $0.6 billion, or 3.4 per cent, on the previous year.
Total domestic and international tourism expenditure reached $46.6 billion — the highest on record. International tourism expenditure increased by $1.2 billion (7 per cent) to $18.1 billion, representing a recovery of 106 per cent compared with 2019 levels.
Tourism directly and indirectly supported 327,888 jobs, meaning one in nine New Zealanders are employed in the sector.
International Visitor Survey — 2025 calendar year
The IVS shows international visitor spend increased 3 per cent year-on-year to $12.5 billion in 2025. Visitor arrivals grew 6 per cent to 3.51 million.
Australian visitors recorded the highest total spend at $3.8 billion, followed by visitors from the United States at $1.9 billion and China at $1.1 billion.
On a per-visitor basis, German visitors recorded the highest average spend per trip at $8,664, while Australian visitors recorded the lowest at $2,867. Longer stays generally correlated with higher spend, with German visitors also recording the longest average length of stay.
Overall, total spend recovery compared with 2019 reached 109 per cent, while total holiday spend reached 117 per cent of 2019 levels.
The vast majority of visitors reported being satisfied with their trip, with popular activities including walking, hiking, tramping and visiting natural attractions.
