This release includes total results from the International Visitor Survey (IVS) for year-end June 2024 and separately for the June 2024 quarter.

Top-line results can be found on MBIE’s Tourism Evidence and Insights Centre (TEIC).

Microdata is also published on MBIE’s website.

Notes on interpreting results

The rolling annual data for the year ending September 2024 can now be compared with data for the year ending September 2023.

All spend figures and percentage changes are in nominal terms (not adjusted for inflation) unless stated otherwise. Stats NZ Consumer Price Index was used to adjust spend figures for inflation (real terms), to account for how much of the extra spending by tourists is being driven by higher prices.

We advise caution when using and interpreting quarterly results as quarterly level statistics have a higher margin of error than annual level statistics due to the smaller sample size resulting from a shorter survey period. For example, while visitor arrivals increased in the September 2024 quarter compared with June 2024 quarter, the total sample size for the September quarter decreased from June 2024 quarter due to the decline in the overall response rate.

For the year ending September 2024, market breakdown now includes Total, Australia, UK, USA, Rest of Europe, Asia, Germany, Canada, Rest of World, and China.

Please note that Asia now excludes China, which is reported separately due to a higher response rate. As China was reported as part of the ‘Asia’ grouping in the previous release (year ending June 2024 and June 2024 quarter), no direct comparison is made for Asia.

Further details on data quality, including sample sizes, response rates and margin of errors, are available here.

Key highlights for year ending September 2024

Results cover 1 October 2023 to 30 September 2024.

Annual spend increased 30% and visitor arrivals increased 17%

• International visitors contributed $11.7 billion to New Zealand’s economy – For the year ending September 2024, international tourism generated a total of $11.7 billion, up 30% from last year.
• International tourism continued to be the second highest export earner – following dairy ($19.2 billion) and ahead of meat and edible offal ($8.4 billion).
• Visitor numbers were up 17% - For the year ending September 2024, 3.23 million visitors came to New Zealand, up from 2.77 million in 2023.
• Visitors from Australia had the highest spend – Visitors from Australia spent $3.5 billion (up 7%), followed by visitors from Asia at $1.8 billion, and the USA at $1.6 billion (up 31%).
• Visitors from Germany spent the most overall – Visitors from Germany had the highest median spend per visitor ($6,823), an increase of 18% from last year. Australians spent the least per visitor at $1,988, down 2% from last year. A higher median spend per visitor generally correlates with the length of visit; the longer the visit the greater the overall spend per visitor.
• Visitors from China had the highest daily spend – Visitors from China spent the most per day ($366), followed by visitors from USA ($333, down 6% from last year) and Australia ($296, up 11% from last year). The UK had the lowest median daily spend at $181, though this increased 12% from last year.
• Overall median spend per visitor and daily spend increased – The median spend per visitor for all countries was $2,633, an increase of 1% from last year. The median daily spend for all countries was $283, an increase of 10% from last year.
• Length of stay is similar to last year – The median length of stay for all visitors was 10 days, consistent with the previous year. Visitors from Germany stayed the longest, with a median length of stay of 26 days, followed by visitors from the Rest of Europe at 21 days.
  
  

Visitor spend slightly increased from the year ending June 2024

• Visitor spend from all countries slightly increased – For the year ending September 2024, visitor spend rose by 0.5% to $11.7 billion from $11.6 billion for the year ending June 2024.
• Visitors on holiday/vacation spent the same – Spend by visitors on holiday/vacation remained at $7.1 billion when compared to for the year ending June 2024. The same is true for those visiting friends/relatives, at $2.5 billion.
• Visitors spending on eating out increased slightly – Total spend for all visitors on eating out was $1.69 billion, an increase of 1% from $1.68 billion for year ending June 2024. Visitors from Australia collectively spent the most on eating out at $589 million, while visitors from Canada spent the least at $37 million.
  
  

Annual spend in real terms remains below pre-pandemic levels

• When adjusted for inflation, visitor spend for the year ending September 2024 was at 84% of 2019 levels, or $9.5 billion. This is aligned with the visitor numbers which is at 83% of pre-pandemic levels, 3.23 million for the year ending September 2024 when compared with 3.9 million for the year ending September 2019.
• In real terms, median spend per visitor for all countries was at $2,173, or 89% of 2019 levels, and median daily spend was at $277, or 92% of 2019 levels.
  
  
  

Key highlights for September 2024 quarter

Results cover 1 July 2024 to 30 September 2024.

Visitor spend was up from September 2023 quarter

• International visitors brought $1.9 billion into New Zealand – International visitor spend was $1.9 billion during the September 2024 quarter, a 3% nominal increase from the same quarter last year. Australian visitors remain the single largest market, spending $776 million during the quarter.
• International tourism was the second highest export – behind dairy ($3.55 billion) and closely followed by meat and edible offal ($1.60 billion) for the September 2024 quarter.
• Median spend per visitor increased – Median spend per visitor increased 3% from the September 2023 quarter, reaching $2,497 in the September 2024 quarter.
• Median length of stay remained unchanged at 8 days – when compared to the same quarter last year.
• Visitors on holiday/vacation spent more – Spend by visitors on holiday/vacation increased by 5% ($1.04 billion to $1.09 billion).
• Net promoter score remained steady at 64 – The net promoter score (NPS) measures the net effect of visitors’ likelihood to recommend New Zealand as a holiday destination to others. A score of 64 means that visitors had a positive experience in New Zealand and are more likely to recommend it as a holiday destination to others.
  
  

Visitor spend in real terms September 2024 quarter

• When adjusted for inflation, visitor spend during the September 2024 quarter was at $1.8 billion, up 1% from the same quarter last year.
• In real terms, median spend per visitor was up 1% (at $2,443) from the same quarter last year. Visitors on holiday/vacation spent $1.07 billion, up by 2.6% from the same quarter last year.
  
  

Travel purpose has shifted compared with same quarter last year

• For the September quarter 2024, visitors coming for holiday/vacation increased to 48% of all visitors, up from 47% in the September quarter 2023, while visitors coming to visit friends and relatives stayed at 29%.
• Visitors travelling for a holiday typically spend more than those coming to visit friends and family. As the proportion of international visitors coming for holiday/vacation has increased while visiting friends and family remained the same, this visitor category contributed to the increase in overall visitor spend (3%) from same quarter last year (since visitor arrivals recorded a 3% increase).
  
  
  

Future data releases

The next data release will include results from the December 2024 quarter and will be released on 4th March 2025. The tourism data release calendar on the MBIE website has release dates to March 2025.

January 2025

• 10 January - Tourism Electronic Card Transactions: November 2024
• 23 January - (S) - International travel: November 2024

February 2025

• 5 February - Accommodation Data Programme: December 2024
• 7 February – Tourism Electronic Card Transactions: December 2024
• 17 February - (S) – International travel: December 2024
• 26 February – Accommodation Data Programme: January 2025
• 26 February - (S) – Tourism Satellite Account: March 2024

March 2025

• 4 March – International Visitor Survey: December 2024 quarter
• 7 March – Tourism Electronic Card Transactions: January 2025
• 13 March - (S) – International travel: January 2025
• 26 March – Accommodation Data Programme: February 2025