Australia tourist arrivals in New Zealand hit record

New Zealand saw a record number of Australian visitors in the June 2026 year, with international travel statistics spokesperson Dave O Donovan announcing the arrivals reached a new high. The increase in visitor numbers from Australia was nearly 300,000 people, while arrivals from China accounted for another 67,000 additional visitors.

The largest sources of visitor arrivals in the June 2026 year were Australia, the United States, China, and the United Kingdom. O Donovan mentioned that this surge was part of a series of annual records Australia set, starting from the March 2026 year.

South Island airports saw a significant rise in visitor arrivals, with a total of 1.05 million overseas visitors, up from 881,300 in the previous year. The growth in arrivals was led by Christchurch and Queenstown airports. Infometrics principal economist Nick Brunsdon noted that the increase in visitor numbers was partly due to a boost at the beginning of the year, which has since been affected by the ongoing war in the Middle East.

Despite a near 1 percent month-on-month increase, visitor arrivals are still at 95 percent of pre-pandemic levels.

Brunsdon explained that Australia's strong growth helped offset reluctance from longer-haul travelers during periods of geopolitical uncertainty. He pointed out that Australia had already fully recovered its pre-pandemic visitor numbers and was now at 106 percent of the 2019 levels. The drop in jet fuel prices, despite being a concern for many, is helping to attract more tourists from Australia.

Chinese arrivals were also boosted by a one-year trial allowing them to visit without a visa, which could potentially lead to a decline in numbers if the trial is not renewed.