Tourism arrivals in New Zealand have continued to grow for another month, albeit more slowly in October than they were in September.
Tourism arrivals grew further in October compared to the previous month for the fourth consecutive month, but at a slower rate than the past three months. October arrivals were 0.6 percent higher than September, coming after 2.5-2.9 percent growth in each month between July and September (all figures seasonally adjusted). October 2025 arrivals were 93 percent of October 2019 (pre-pandemic) levels, down from a high-water mark of 95 percent in September 2025.
Arrivals over the year to October 2025 were 6.3 percent higher than the year to October 2024, the highest annual growth since the year to February 2025. The tourism recovery stalled through autumn 2025, but warmed up through winter and into spring.
Christchurch airport arrivals were slow to recover, but have been leading the recovery in 2025. October 2025 arrivals to Christchurch were up 20.1 percent pa from October 2024. Growth across the other major airports was more subdued, with Auckland up 7.7 percent pa, Queenstown up 8.1 percent pa, and Wellington up just 4.6 percent pa. Arrivals on new routes into Dunedin and Hamilton continue to grow, together accounting for 1.0 percent of October arrivals.
Departures of NZ tourists fell 2.4 percent in October from September 2025 (seasonally adjusted). This fall largely reflects the timing of the Term 3 school holidays, which were mainly in October in 2024, and mainly in September in 2025. Departures of NZ tourists rose 3.0 percent over the year to October 2025, totalling 101 percent of pre-pandemic levels.
Nick Brunson from Infometrics said October was another positive month for tourism arrivals, although it does show a more modest rate of growth than the prior three months. This momentum suggests that international tourism activity will be slightly higher this summer than last.
“Australia continues to drive our tourism recovery, with 13 percent pa growth in Australian arrivals in October accounting for 60 percent of overall growth. After Australia, arrivals from China, South Korea and Taiwan each accounted for 6-7 percent of overall growth in October. Arrivals from the United States, our second largest market, continue to grow modestly, but only accounted for three percent of overall growth.”
A weaker New Zealand dollar means that spending in New Zealand is roughly six percent cheaper for Australian tourists than it was six months ago. It may take several months for Australians to respond to this shift and book holidays to New Zealand, but it should support further growth in tourist arrivals from our largest market over the coming months. The weaker dollar benefits US tourists too, though the higher cost of long-haul airfares means that we would expect a more modest impact on US arrivals.
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