Tourism in New Zealand

Tourism in New Zealand comprised an important sector of the national economy – tourism directly contributed NZ$16.2 billion (or 5.8%) of the country's GDP in the year ended March 2019.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Template:As of tourism supported 188,000 full-time-equivalent jobs (nearly 7.5% of New Zealand's workforce). The flow-on effects of tourism indirectly contributed a further 4.3% of GDP (or NZ$9.8 billion). Despite the country's geographical isolation, spending by international tourists accounted for 17.1% of New Zealand's export earnings (nearly NZ$12 billion). International and domestic tourism contributed, in total, NZ$34 billion to New Zealand's economy every year Template:As of.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

New Zealand markets itself abroad as a "clean, green" adventure-playground (Tourism New Zealand's main marketing slogan, "100% Pure New Zealand", reflects this), emphasising as typical tourist destinations nature areas such as Milford Sound, Abel Tasman National Park and the Tongariro Alpine Crossing; while activities such as bungee jumping or whale watching exemplify typical tourist attractions, marketed primarily to individual and small-group travellers. Australia provides by far the largest group of New Zealand's international tourists (about 45%), due to its close proximity (three to four hours by plane) and traditional good relations. Mainland China, the United States and the United Kingdom are the next three largest markets.

The Sky Tower, a popular attraction in Auckland, serves as an observation tower as well as featuring a revolving restaurant.<ref name="SkyTower">Sky Tower Official page - Retrieved 2009-07-04</ref>

The vast majority of international tourist arrivals to New Zealand come through Auckland Airport, which handled 11.5 million international passengers Template:As of.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Two per cent of visitors arrived by sea Template:As of.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Many international tourists spend time in Auckland, Christchurch, Queenstown, Rotorua, and Wellington.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Other high-profile destinations include the Bay of Islands, the Waitomo Caves, Aoraki / Mount Cook, and Milford Sound. Many tourists travel considerable distances through the country during their stays, typically using coach lines or hired cars. Though some destinations have seasonal specialities (for winter sports, for example), New Zealand's southern-hemisphere location offers attractions for off-peak northern-hemisphere tourists chasing or avoiding certain seasons. In June 2018 the New Zealand government announced the imposition of a "tourist tax" of around NZ$25 to NZ$35 for international visitors, excluding Australians, many Pacific islanders, and young children. It planned to implement this taxation in 2019 through a newly proposed electronic travel-registration process.<ref>Template:Cite news </ref><ref> {{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }} </ref>

International travel

CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Overview

Camper vans offer one of the choices for budget travel in New Zealand.

The country is internationally seen as a top holiday destination, as shown by being voted most favourite destination by the readers of the Condé Nast Traveler magazine (specialising in luxury travel) in 2008, though it slipped to second place in 2009.<ref name="NZ_Herald_10595197">Template:Cite news</ref> A 2007 Daily Telegraph poll, the United Kingdom's largest such poll, also identified New Zealand as the best overseas holiday destination. Between 2000 (the start of an advertising campaign by Tourism New Zealand) and 2007 the number of Britons visiting New Zealand increased by 61%.<ref name="NZ_Herald_10479434">Template:Cite news</ref> In November 2012 readers of the UK newspaper The Telegraph voted New Zealand the best country in the world to go to on holiday.<ref> Template:Cite news</ref>

The availability of air travel is a large contributing factor to market growth. After Air New Zealand launched non-stop flights from Auckland to Buenos Aires in December 2015, visitor numbers from Argentina tripled, from 5,400 in 2015 to 15,300 in 2016.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Tourism New Zealand, the country's official tourism agency, actively promotes the country as a destination worldwide. Activities have included a NZ$7 million campaign in China, concentrating on Shanghai,<ref name="NZ_Herald_10438801">Template:Cite news</ref> and co-operating to produce a New Zealand tourism layer for Google Earth, the first such country-wide initiative.<ref name="NZ_Herald_10433895">Template:Cite news</ref>

Visitors from 60 countries require a New Zealand eTA (NZ eTA) from 1 October 2019.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

From March 2020, New Zealand government implemented strict quarantine provisions to prevent the spread of COVID-19 pandemic across the nationwide, and the numbers of incoming international visitors dropped dramatically. The tourism sector responded with a strategy of hunker and hope.<ref> {{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }} </ref> A brief reopening of borders with Australia ("Travel bubble") from April 2021 encountered official "pauses" and "suspension" (July 2021) as COVID-19 Deltacron hybrid variant took hold in different Australian states.<ref> Template:Cite news </ref> In September 2024, New Zealand announced to increase its International Visitor Conservation and Tourism Levy from NZ$35 to NZ$100 starting on 1 October 2024, to boost economic growth and ensure tourists contribute to public services. While the government believed this wouldn't significantly deter visitors, Tourism Industry Aotearoa (TIA) warned that the higher fee might discourage tourism, especially as the country struggled to recover to pre-pandemic visitor numbers. The tax hike was not applied to tourists from Australia and the Pacific, and additional visa fees would also rise.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Environmental impacts

Public concern over the environmental impacts of air travel may threaten tourism growth in New Zealand, as almost all tourists fly long distances to reach New Zealand. However, Ministry of Tourism data in 2007 predicted a four per cent annual growth in tourist numbers in New Zealand, with 3.2 million tourists annually to be reached in 2014.<ref name="NZ_Herald_10461299">Template:Cite news</ref> However, it remains unclear how New Zealand's carbon-neutral policy will affect future tourism – with some researchers arguing that the carbon emissions of tourism are much higher than generally considered, that their offsetting or mitigation will be very difficult, and that this poses a serious threat to the country's major source of foreign income.<ref> Template:Cite news </ref>

Domestic travel

The road to Mount Cook

Periodic campaigns are also directed at New Zealanders, urging them to travel within New Zealand instead of overseas, due to a perception by the tourism industry that too many New Zealanders are travelling to Australia or other countries instead of domestically.<ref name="DOM">Template:Cite news</ref> Perhaps the best-known slogan is "Don't leave town until you've seen the country".<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Air travel is a popular way of getting around the country due to the lack of transport alternatives over longer distances (for example, going from Auckland to Napier, a 400 km journey takes just over an hour by plane<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> compared to nearly five hours by car<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> or seven hours by bus.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Passenger trains are limited to Auckland-Wellington, Picton-Christchurch and Christchurch-Greymouth, scenic daytrip journeys which often cost more than an airfare. Outside of trunk routes connecting main cities (Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch, Dunedin, Queenstown), airfares can, due to a lack of competition, cost nearly as much as trips to Australia.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Domestic tourism spending still exceeds that of international tourism; in the year to March 2020, domestic tourists spent $24.4 billion compared to $17.5 billion spent by international tourists.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }} </ref> However, the economy suffered from COVID-19 pandemic, when the borders were closed to the international tourists and other visitors from 2020 to 2022, and the tourism sector is expected to take years to recover.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Tourist activities

Template:See also Template:Wide image Popular tourist activities in New Zealand include sightseeing, adventure tourism, tramping (hiking) and camping. To support active travel, New Zealand has numerous walking and hiking paths (often created and maintained by the DOC), some of which, like the Milford Track, have huge international recognition. There is also a walking route the length of the country (Te Araroa) and the New Zealand Cycle Trail.

Statistics

<timeline> ImageSize=width:270 height:300 PlotArea=left:60 bottom:75 top:10 right:16 AlignBars=justify Period=from:0 till:500 TimeAxis=orientation:horizontal

Colors=

id:gray value:gray(0.5)
id:line1 value:gray(0.9)
id:line2 value:gray(0.7)

ScaleMajor=unit:year increment:100 start:0 gridcolor:line2 ScaleMinor=unit:year increment:100 start:0 gridcolor:line1

BarData=

bar:January text:January
bar:February text:February
bar:March text:March
bar:April text:April
bar:May text:May
bar:June text:June
bar:July text:July
bar:August text:August
bar:September text:September
bar:October text:October
bar:November text:November
bar:December text:December

PlotData=

color:tan1 width:10

bar:January from:start till:326 text:
bar:February from:start till:363 text:
bar:March from:start till:340 text:
bar:April from:start till:225 text:
bar:May from:start till:180 text:
bar:June from:start till:185 text:
bar:July from:start till:222 text:
bar:August from:start till:214 text:
bar:September from:start till:227 text:
bar:October from:start till:240 text:
bar:November from:start till:321 text:
bar:December from:start till:470 text:

TextData=

pos:(50,37) textcolor:gray fontsize:M text:Tourist arrivals in 2024 (k)

TextData=

pos:(50,20) textcolor:gray fontsize:M text:Source: Trading Economics /

TextData=

pos:(50,3) textcolor:gray fontsize:M text:Statistics New Zealand

</timeline>

citation

CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation

CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref name=":0" />

<timeline> ImageSize = width:auto height:150 barincrement:18 PlotArea = left:50 bottom:15 top:10 right:20 AlignBars = justify DateFormat = x.y Period = from:0 till:4 TimeAxis = orientation:vertical ScaleMajor = unit:year increment:1 start:0 PlotData= color:skyblue width:11 bar:98 from:start till:1.48 bar:99 from:start till:1.60 bar:00 from:start till:1.78 bar:01 from:start till:1.90 bar:02 from:start till:2.03 bar:03 from:start till:2.09 bar:04 from:start till:2.33 bar:05 from:start till:2.35 bar:06 from:start till:2.39 bar:07 from:start till:2.43 bar:08 from:start till:2.37 bar:09 from:start till:2.37 bar:10 from:start till:2.44 bar:11 from:start till:2.51 bar:12 from:start till:2.47 bar:13 from:start till:2.63 bar:14 from:start till:2.77 bar:15 from:start till:3.04 bar:16 from:start till:3.37 bar:17 from:start till:3.56 bar:18 from:start till:3.69 bar:19 from:start till:3.70 bar:20 from:start till:0.948 bar:21 from:start till:0.205 bar:22 from:start till:1.39 bar:23 from:start till:2.9 bar:24 from:start till:3.3 color:powderblue width:11 </timeline>

International markets

The top countries for international visitor arrivals to New Zealand in terms of their nationality are as follows.<ref name=":0">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Country	2020	2021	2022	2023	2024
Template:Flag	359,781	160,248	829,168	1,257,933	1,385,323
Template:Flag	124,818	5,153	110,275	337,306	369,635
Template:Flag	58,508	1,644	16,997	151,297	248,478
Template:Flag	94,255	6,034	87,959	167,002	179,856
Template:Flag	18,179	1,622	20,282	84,399	82,878
Template:Flag	26,326	476	14,201	58,237	70,036
Template:Flag	36,671	750	23,376	59,872	69,239
Template:Flag	25,784	561	12,732	51,976	68,260
Template:Flag	30,791	1,030	24,217	57,963	63,447
Template:Flag	9,373	1,249	33,919	47,388	56,409
Template:Flag	13,260	242	5,429	33,359	47,075
Template:Flag	7,710	658	16,601	39,980	42,535
Template:Flag	13,125	817	9,365	25,832	33,517
Template:Flag	5,398	1,264	8,334	31,162	31,623
Template:Flag	5,491	298	11,684	28,861	29,340
Other countries	166,900	24,816	209,293	524,376	536,151
Total	996,350	206,862	1,433,832	2,956,940	3,313,802

Australia accounted for 41.8 per cent of New Zealand visitor arrivals in 2024. Broken down by state, New South Wales accounted for 451,767 visitors, followed by Queensland with 373,187 visitors, and Victoria with 318,491 visitors.<ref name=":0" />

Of the top 14 nationalities, all except India, China, Philippines and Fiji are entitled to visa waivers,<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> while all except the United Kingdom, India, Germany, and the Philippines have non-stop flights to New Zealand.

See also

• Visa policy of New Zealand
• Tourism New Zealand, official tourism agency
• Tolkien tourism, on the effects of The Lord of the Rings films
• List of museums in New Zealand
• List of World Heritage Sites in New Zealand

External links

• New Zealand Government – Ministry for Tourism