New Data Reveals Strong Growth in International Tourism Industry, Boosting Confidence and Economic Recovery

The Government welcomes new data showing a healthy growth in international visitor numbers and improved confidence across the tourism industry.

International tourism, as New Zealand’s second highest export earner, is a key part of our economic recovery, Tourism and Hospitality Minister Louise Upston says.

So it is great to see that international visitor arrivals in August were up 7.5 per cent from the same time last year. With summer around the corner, we are making steady progress against our goal to return to pre-COVID visitor levels, sitting at 88 per cent of December 2019 numbers.

More visitors means more full tables in our restaurants, more bookings in our hotels, more people visiting our regions and attractions, and more jobs being created across the country.

The latest International Travel and Migration (ITM) data from Statistics New Zealand shows that of the 230,300 international visitor arrivals in August 2025, 52 per cent were from Australia, 9 per cent were from China, and 5 per cent were from the United States.

These positive statistics reflect what the tourism industry is obviously seeing themselves first hand with a Tourism Industry Association survey also out today showing 86 per cent of tourism organisations feeling confident about the year ahead. Up 11 per cent on last year’s results.

We know the benefits a thriving tourism and hospitality sector bring to our economy, supporting local regions and communities. That’s why our Government has been making a series of investments this year to boost demand and position New Zealand as a go-to destination for people considering their next holiday.