New data reveals that New Zealand saw an increase in overseas tourists in 2024 compared to the previous year, with notable growth in visitors from the USA.
According to Stats NZ, overseas visitor arrivals reached 3.31 million last year, marking an increase of 357,000 compared to 2023. Visitors came from all major markets, including Australia, China, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, the UK, and the USA.
Notably, the number of visitors from the United States reached a record high for a December year, making the U.S. the second-largest source of overseas visitors to New Zealand in 2024, just behind Australia.
In December 2024, 469,800 overseas visitors arrived, an increase of 51,000 from December 2023. Of these, 41% were from Australia and 13% from the USA.
However, while the growth is significant, overall international travel still lags behind pre-pandemic levels. The total number of overseas visitors in December 2024 was 89% of the 528,200 arrivals in December 2019.
The release of this data coincided with the launch of a new tourism campaign by the New Zealand government, aimed at attracting more Australian tourists. The Hotel Council Aotearoa (HCA) expressed support for the campaign, noting that international arrivals last year remained at 88% of pre-COVID levels.
