This Content Is Only For Subscribers
International visitor arrivals continued their recovery in April, reaching 94 per cent of pre-pandemic levels as China drove the strongest growth among key inbound markets.
Stats NZ data showed 288,500 overseas visitors arrived in New Zealand during April 2026, up 21,300 on the same month last year. The largest increase came from China, with arrivals rising by 11,100 year-on-year to 32,500 visitors. Australia followed with an additional 5,500 arrivals, while the United States contributed 3,100 more visitors.
Australia remained New Zealand’s largest source market, accounting for 49 per cent of all overseas visitor arrivals in April. There were record April arrivals from Australia (138,200), the United States (25,800) and India (8,000).
The increase in Chinese arrivals coincided with Immigration New Zealand’s 12-month trial allowing eligible Chinese passport holders travelling from Australia to enter New Zealand without requiring a visitor visa.
New Zealand residents also returned home in record numbers. Resident traveller arrivals totalled 247,400 in April, up 2,600 on April 2025 and 102 per cent of April 2019 levels. The figure surpassed the previous April record set in 2025.
China recorded the largest increase in returning New Zealand residents, up 2,000 arrivals year-on-year, while Fiji, Japan and Viet Nam also posted gains. Record April arrivals of New Zealand residents were recorded from Fiji, China and Japan.
On an annual basis, overseas visitor arrivals reached 3.65 million in the year ended April 2026, an increase of 284,000 compared with the previous year. Australia accounted for much of that growth, with annual arrivals from the market climbing by 133,000 to a record 1.57 million visitors.
New Zealand-resident traveller arrivals totalled a record 3.12 million in the April 2026 year, up 100,000 year-on-year. Annual arrivals from Australia reached a record 1.3 million, while India recorded its highest-ever total of 117,000 New Zealand-resident traveller arrivals.
Across all traveller movements, there were 1.14 million border crossings in April 2026, equivalent to 96 per cent of April 2019 volumes.
