New Zealand to welcome over 600,000 tourists this winter

Wellington, June 13 New Zealand is embracing a tourism rebound as more than 600,000 visitors will arrive during the upcoming winter season.

The tourism sector is continuing to strengthen to close to pre-pandemic levels, Tourism Minister Peeni Henare said on Tuesday, citing the latest data and estimates.

There were about 221,300 overseas visitor arrivals in April 2023, and airline booking and capacity data estimate more than 600,000 visitors are expected to arrive this winter from June to August, more than 83 per cent of pre-Covid arrivals in winter 2019, Xinhua news agency reported citing statistics.

Visitors from Australia are expected to approach around 90 per cent this winter compared to pre-pandemic levels, Henare said.

"This is great news for the hundred thousand Kiwis directly employed in tourism and their communities around New Zealand who rely on the industry for local jobs and economic growth," he said.

He said that this tourism rebound complements the government's investment in regional infrastructure while the borders were closed, enabling a strong post-pandemic recovery.

International visitors spent NZ$3.2 billion ($1.96 billion) in New Zealand in the first quarter of 2023, up from NZ$1.8 billion in the December quarter, which makes international tourism the country's second-highest export this quarter behind dairy exports such as milk powder, butter, and cheese, said the minister.

The increase in spending by international visitors reflects the larger flow of international visitors for the peak summer holiday season and an increase in holidaymakers who spend more per day than the average visitor, he said.

Visitor numbers are also buoyed by the increase in flight capacity. Australian visitors remain the largest single market, followed by visitors from the United States and Britain, he added.

In addition, electronic card spending data shows international visitors spent NZ$328 million in April 2023, up 25 per cent compared with April 2019, statistics show.