Monthly number of international visitor arrivals to New Zealand 2019-2023
International tourism in New Zealand
Auckland, New Zealand’s North Island metropolis, is by far the most popular destination for international visitors in New Zealand by region. In 2022, the leading reasons for visiting New Zealand were to go on holiday or to visit friends or relatives, with the largest group of overseas arrivals coming from Australia.Tourism sector recovery in New Zealand
From April 2020 to February 2022, New Zealand’s international tourist numbers plummeted, witnessing a short-lived recovery between April and July 2021, with tourism industry owners emphasizing the importance of international travel to New Zealand to the country’s tourism sector recovery.Forecasts show that the international tourism expenditure in New Zealand is expected to increase steadily between 2022 and 2025, recovering from low tourism expenditure, attributed to a sharp decline in visitor numbers, due to border closures and travel restrictions during the COVID-19 pandemic.