Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Minister for Tourism Louise Upston attended Trenz earlier this year, as the international tourism business event aims to boost tourism growth.
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Minister for Tourism Louise Upston attended Trenz earlier this year, as the international tourism business event aims to boost tourism growth.
Spending by international tourists has jumped 9.2% in the last year to $12.2 billion but still remains below pre-Covid times, according to the latest International Visitor Survey.
The survey results for the year ended March 2025 show the sector retained its status as the second-largest export earner behind dairy ($21.8b)and ahead of meat and edible offal ($9.2b).
However, when adjusted for inflation, visitor spend was at 86% of 2019 levels, or $9.7b.
In the most recent March quarter, international visitor spend was $4.5b, a 0.3% nominal increase from the same quarter in 2024.
International visitor numbers were up 4.3% for the year ending March 2025, with 3.32 million visitors coming to New Zealand, up from 3.18 million in 2024.
This was also at 86% of pre-pandemic levels when compared with 3.87 million for the year ending March 2019.
Tourism and Hospitality Minister Louise Upston says the recent result is positive for a stronger economy. Photo / Mark Mitchell
Tourism and Hospitality Minister Louise Upston said the results show just how important the sector is to unleashing economic growth in New Zealand.
“In real terms, that means more bookings in our restaurants, more reservations at local accommodation and visitor experience providers, more people visiting our regions and attractions, more jobs being created across the country, and an overall stronger economy,” Upston said.
“The growth in visitor numbers and spending is very encouraging but there is still more work to do to ensure tourism and hospitality can really thrive.”
Who spent what
Australians remained the largest total spenders, with Aussie visitors spending $3.5b over the year, up by 1%.
Asian visitors were the second-largest at $1.9b. A 15% increase in total spending by tourists from the US has moved it up the rankings to third, with $1.8b spent over the year.
Visitors from Germany had the highest median spend, up 5% to $6617 from 2024. Australians spent the least per visitor at $1986, up 1% compared with 2024.
A higher median spend per visitor generally correlates with the length of visit; the longer the visit, the greater the overall spend per visitor.
In terms of the highest daily spending, visitors from the US spent the most at $372 per day, up 9% compared with 2024.
Visitors from China came in second, spending $368 and both Asia and Australia (up 7% from 2024) averaged $300 per day.
The UK had the lowest median daily spend at $204, although this increased by 15% compared to 2024.
The median length of stay by visitors remained the same at 10 days, similar to 2024. German visitors stayed the longest, with a median length of stay of 28 days, followed by other European visitors at 21 days.
Spending on accommodation also increased, with the total visitor spend on accommodation reaching $3.1b, an increase of 10% from $2.9b for the year ending March 2024.
