The spend result is a 4.3 per cent increase on the previous year, while visitor arrivals are up five per cent, showing visitors are rising faster than spend.
While international traveller spend now exceeds 2019 levels – which was NZ$11.2 billion for the year to June 2019 – when adjusted for inflation, spend, like visitor numbers, has still not fully recovered to pre-pandemic levels.
Based on the latest figures, when adjusted for inflation, international visitor spend sits at 86 per cent of 2019 levels, while visitation is at 87 per cent of 2019 levels.
While international visitation is increasing in New Zealand, business events figures continue to go backwards, according to data from the Business Events Data Programme.
The business events figures for the June 2025 quarter show the number of events – both international and domestic – held in New Zealand is down by 25 per cent compared to the previous year, while delegate numbers are down by 29 per cent and delegate days are down 32 per cent.
The number of events held in New Zealand has shown decreases compared to the previous year every quarter since December 2023, coinciding with the election of New Zealand’s new national government.
Delegate numbers have also been decreasing since the December quarter in 2023, while delegate days began to post consistent decreases since the March 2024 quarter.
Delegate days are now 40 per cent lower than they were two years ago.
Going back to international visitation statistics, 7.2 per cent of travellers cited a specific event as a factor in deciding to visit New Zealand.
The most commonly cited factor for choosing to visit was New Zealand’s landscapes and scenery, with 41.3 per cent of visitors identifying this as decision factor for travel.
