New Zealand’s business events body, Business Events Industry Aotearoa (BEIA), estimates the value of those 16,527 delegates to be $54.1 million, based on New Zealand specific business events data research undertaken in 2025.
These latest statistics from Stats New Zealand show overseas business events visitors are just four per cent shy of what they were between January and March in 2019.
“These results show that the business events sector is delivering real economic value and supporting New Zealand’s wider knowledge economy,” said BEIA chief executive, Lisa Hopkins.
“Business events are one of New Zealand’s most valuable visitor segments. Delegates travelling here bring global expertise, networks and knowledge into New Zealand and support our venues, hotels, hospitality, transport and regional economies.”
The strong quarterly performance was helped along by several significant conferences taking place in New Zealand during the usually quieter summer period.
“The Special Convention of Jehovah’s Witnesses in Auckland, the International Sedimentological Congress 2026 in Wellington and the International Cool Climate Wine Summit in Christchurch were just some of the events that brought delegates into city centres during the summer holiday period,” said Hopkins.
“We also know anecdotally, that many who attended these conferences, stayed on and travelled around the country as leisure tourists, bringing additional economic value to our regions.”
Australia continues to be New Zealand’s top market for business events visitors, accounting for nearly half of the international delegate arrivals at 8,204 delegates. Although this is a 37 per cent jump on the same time last year, it is still eight per cent below pre-COVID levels.
Next best was the USA, with 2,425 business events arrivals, up 53 per cent on last year and 28 per cent on 2019.
Hopkins said that although the business events outlook was positive, “we remain cautious”.
“New Zealand is well-regarded internationally as a safe, stable and secure destination to visit, and we have a strong appeal as a bucket list destination. Our newly-completed network of world-class venues – the New Zealand International Convention Centre in Auckland, Tākina in Wellington and Te Pae in Christchurch – is also a drawcard for event organisers.
“At the same time though, the level of geopolitical tension and economic uncertainty across the world is currently high, so this is not the time to take our foot off the pedal.
“As we manage our way through the friction, we’re not hearing about “wholesale” cancellations of international conferences as our ability to leverage our exceptional exchange rate continues to work in our favour.”
