Visitor arrivals to New Zealand up 7.5 pct in August

Visitor arrivals to New Zealand rose to 230,300 in August 2025, up 16,000 or 7.5 percent from August 2024, Stats NZ said Monday.

The increase brought total arrivals to 92 percent of pre-pandemic levels recorded in August 2019, signaling steady progress in the nation's tourism rebound, according to a statement from the statistics department.

Annual arrivals for the year to August 2025 reached 3.41 million overseas visitors and 3.06 million New Zealand-resident travelers, it said, adding that total border crossings hit 1.01 million in August.

Tourism and Hospitality Minister Louise Upston said international tourism, as New Zealand's second-highest export earner, is a key part of the country's economic recovery.

"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," Upston said.

xinhua