The Authorities is welcoming new knowledge displaying New Zealand’s worldwide customer arrivals continued to rise in December, with sturdy progress from China and Australia particularly.
Tourism and Hospitality Minister Louise Upston says Stats NZ’s arrival statistics for December, 2025, present New Zealand’s tourism restoration continues to construct.
The December, 2025, 12 months was the primary annual interval to exceed 3.5 million abroad customer arrivals because the March, 2020, 12 months.
“Worldwide tourism is a cornerstone of New Zealand’s financial progress, supporting companies and jobs in communities proper throughout the nation.
“It’s nice to see our Authorities’s work to spice up tourism is paying off.
“We’re seeing sturdy progress in guests from China, with arrivals up by 29 per cent (6,400) in December, 2025, in contrast with December, 2024, as extra Chinese language guests expertise New Zealand’s distinctive surroundings and hospitality.”
Annual figures present abroad customer arrivals reached 3.51 million within the 12 months to December, 2025, a rise of 196,000 on the earlier 12 months.
This continues to trace in the direction of the Authorities’s objective of returning tourism to pre-Covid ranges, now sitting at 90 per cent of December, 2019, figures.
“It’s additionally nice to see continued progress from our largest customer market, Australia, with 1.52 million arrivals within the 12 months to December, up 9.9 per cent (137,000 because the earlier 12 months),” Upston says.
Month-to-month knowledge exhibits 32,800 extra worldwide guests arrived in December, 2025, in contrast with December, 2024.
The Authorities is supporting tourism progress via a spread of initiatives, together with strengthening partnerships with key markets, offering funding for the promotion of New Zealand as a year-round vacation spot and streamlining journey processes.
Adjustments that enable eligible guests from China and the Pacific to journey to New Zealand from Australia with a New Zealand Digital Journey Authority (NZeTA), moderately than a visa, are additionally making a distinction, Upston says.
A brand new survey following the modifications exhibits with the ability to journey with an NZeTA was a deciding consider folks’s choices to go to New Zealand.
An amazing 85 per cent of respondents, together with 85 per cent of Chinese language travellers and 82 per cent of tourists from Pacific Island Discussion board nations, stated they travelled to New Zealand particularly as a result of the NZeTA possibility turned out there.
The simplicity and velocity of the method meant they might plan journeys extra spontaneously and confidently.
“We’re dedicated to fixing the fundamentals and constructing the longer term via backing our tourism and hospitality sector,” Upston says.
“This knowledge exhibits our plan is working as we place New Zealand as a best choice for folks planning their subsequent vacation.”
