The Government has welcomed new Stats NZ data that showed international visitor arrivals continued to rise in December, with strong growth from China and Australia in particular.
The December 2025 year was the first annual period to exceed 3.5 million overseas visitor arrivals since the March 2020 year.
“International tourism is a cornerstone of New Zealand’s economic growth, supporting businesses and jobs in communities right across the country. It’s great to see our Government’s work to boost tourism is paying off,” said Tourism and Hospitality Minister, Louise Upston.
“We’re seeing strong growth in visitors from China, with arrivals up by 29% (6,400) in December 2025 compared with December 2024, as more Chinese visitors experience New Zealand’s unique scenery and hospitality.”
Annual figures show overseas visitor arrivals reached 3.51 million in the year to December 2025, an increase of 196,000 on the previous year. This continues to track towards the Government’s goal of returning tourism to pre-COVID levels, now sitting at 90% of December 2019 figures.
“It’s also great to see continued growth from our largest visitor market, Australia, with 1.52 million arrivals in the year to December, up 9.9% (137,000 since the previous year).”
Monthly data shows 32,800 more international visitors arrived in December 2025 compared with December 2024.
