Queenstown has been experiencing an encouraging year, supported by local travellers and continued growth in overseas visitors.
Geoff McDonald, CEO at Skyline said the current tourism environment has been positive. Still, challenges connected to tourism growth also need to be acknowledged.
“This year is tracking very well and reaching the 100 million milestone in June has helped to drive strong visitor numbers not only in Queenstown and Rotorua but across all of Skyline’s global sites,” said McDonald.
Skyline luge and gondola ride numbers reflect this momentum. Internationally, luge rides increased from 7.46 million in 2023/2024 to 9.89 million in 2024/25.
In Queenstown, gondola rides jumped from 591,000 in 2023 to 717,000 in the last year. In Rotorua, numbers were up from 481,000 to almost 600,000 in the 2024/25 period.
For Skyline, reaching 100 million luge rides coincided with its continued investment both locally and internationally, including the NZD 200 million redevelopment of the Queenstown gondola site.
McDonald added that, along with other tourism operators in Queenstown, Skyline provides significant employment opportunities for locals, and investment in private infrastructure as been a key contributor to the local community and economy.
Skyline estimated that since its inception in Queenstown in 1965, several thousand locals and temporary workers have contributed to the company's success and growth.
“The luge represents Skyline’s past success and future potential by showcasing Kiwi innovation on the global stage, but the milestone is also a testament to Queenstown as a popular tourism destination and the many businesses that contribute to the region’s thriving adventure tourism sector.”
Mat Woods, CEO of Destination Queenstown and Lake Wānaka Tourism, also said the region has been performing solidly with growth in tourism across the board.
“Queenstown is bucking the national trend, with strong growth in both international and domestic markets, delivering strong economic results," he said.
"This performance creates optimism and the confidence to invest in tourism infrastructure, which we have seen from the private sector. Now we need investment from the public sector to support mixed-use infrastructure to enable this growth.”
RealNZ, which operates the iconic TSS Earnslaw, Walter Peak and Spirit of Queenstown experiences in Tāhuna Queenstown, alongside excursions in Fiordland, Rakiura Stewart Island and the Cardrona and Treble Cone ski areas, has seen 1.4 million guests go through its experiences in the last 12 months, up 11 percent year on year.
“RealNZ's growth in the last year is a promising signal for the sector,” said RealNZ CEO, Dave Beeche.
“It gives us confidence to continue to invest in our operations, systems, people, and conservation goals, so we can keep delivering unique, authentic and extraordinary experiences in nature that support the future vision for our region."
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