Fresh figures show international visitor arrivals and spending are continuing to climb, giving tourism and the wider economy a boost, according to Tourism and Hospitality Minister Louise Upston.
“Tourism is our second highest export earner and I’m encouraged to see our tourism numbers continuing to gain in strength,” Upston said.
“Welcoming more international visitors keeps our communities vibrant and our regions humming – supporting local businesses, creating more jobs and strengthening our economy overall.”
The International Visitor Survey shows that for the year ending June 2025, international tourism contributed $12.1 billion to New Zealand’s economy. That’s up 4.3 per cent compared to the year before.
Arrivals rose 5 per cent to 3.38 million visitors, up from 3.21 million in 2024. Adjusted for inflation, international spending came to $9.6 billion – about 86 per cent of pre-pandemic levels.
“I’m pleased to see the growth in visitor numbers and spending but there is still more work to do to get our tourism sector booming,” Upston said.
“Amongst other initiatives, the Government recently released the Tourism Growth Roadmap, which sets out our plan to double the value of tourism exports by 2034.
“New Zealand is open for business, and we look forward to welcoming more visitors to our shores.”
Full details of the survey findings are available on the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment website.
