Tourism Minister, Louise Upston, has welcomed new data that she says provides fresh insights into how and why New Zealanders travel domestically.
The data comes from the first wave of the Government’s new Domestic Visitor Survey, which measures insights into peak and off‑peak domestic tourism in New Zealand.
“This new survey provides valuable insights into New Zealanders’ domestic travel intentions, behaviours, and experiences,” Ms Upston says.
“Three in five New Zealanders took an overnight trip in the six months to October 2025, and nearly half took a day trip. That’s incredibly useful information for understanding where and how people are choosing to travel.
“Domestic tourism contributes around 60% of total New Zealand tourism expenditure and is essential to many of our regional economies. Insights from this survey will help the tourism industry plan with greater confidence and respond to changing travel patterns across the country.”
This first Domestic Visitor Survey was conducted in October and November last year, capturing data on domestic travel over the previous six months and intentions to travel domestically over the next six months.
“These insights build on the volumes and flow data released late last year, to help understand how people move around New Zealand and support local planning and investment,” said the Minister.
“Delivering this data within six months ensures the sector has timely, practical insights to support planning and respond to emerging travel trends.”
Other key findings include:
- Main reasons for past travel were to visit family and friends and to relax and unwind;
- Trip satisfaction was high, with most travellers satisfied or very satisfied;
- Over three-quarters intended to take an overnight trip in the following six months; over half intended to take a day trip;
- Key barriers to planned travel were cost and weather conditions;
- Planning relied mainly on destination websites, online resources, and recommendations from friends and family.
“We’re already seeing a positive resurgence of international visitors coming to our shores post covid. These new insights will help the industry to maximise our tourism offerings for domestic travellers, encouraging kiwis to explore more of their backyard.”
“As the country’s second-highest export earner, tourism and hospitality has a key role in New Zealand’s economic growth. As a Government, we are committed to ensuring a thriving tourism industry in New Zealand.”
The survey is undertaken by Verian on behalf of the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment. Key results and interactive charts can be found on the Tourism Evidence and Insights Centre.
The next data release from the Domestic Visitor Survey is planned for September and will cover data collected in the April 2026 survey.
