With more arrivals and signs of promising growth for local tourism, transport solutions have become the prime focus for providers.
New Zealand's tourism sector continues to gain momentum, with Stats NZ reporting 3.43 million overseas visitor arrivals in the September 2025 year, an increase of 197,000 from the previous year. This sustained growth has created heightened demand for flexible transport solutions, particularly for groups travelling between major tourist destinations and regional attractions across both islands.
The resurgence in international arrivals has led to increased pressure on vehicle rental services in key gateway cities. Many visitors exploring Auckland require convenient access to vehicles upon arrival, with travellers increasingly seeking car hire on Auckland's North Shore for its proximity to accommodation hubs and northern attractions. The region's strategic location provides easy access to both the city centre and popular destinations such as the Bay of Islands and Coromandel Peninsula.
Group travel has emerged as a significant segment within the recovering tourism market, with corporate retreats, sports teams, and multi-generational family holidays requiring larger vehicles. Services such as minibus hire in Queenstown have become essential for groups navigating the South Island's diverse landscapes, enabling cost-effective transport for parties of eight to twelve passengers. The flexibility offered by larger vehicles has proven particularly valuable for itineraries spanning multiple destinations.
International tourism is an integral part of New Zealand’s economy, with visitors contributing NZD 12.3 billion over the 12 months to September 2025, a 5.3 percent increase on the previous year. Holiday spending contributed NZD 7.8 billion, up 8.9 percent on last year.
With 3.43 million visitors arriving on our shores in the same period, Australia remained our largest market in terms of total spend, at NZD 3.6 billion. Visitors from the US spent NZD 1.8 billion and Chinese travellers spent NZD 1.2 billion.
International visitors play a vital role in keeping our tourism and hospitality industry sustainable, with over NZD 3.2 billion spent on accommodation across the year, and NZD 1.7 billion on dining. Indonesian visitors have the highest daily spend of NZD 485, followed by the US (NZD 350) and Taiwan (NZD 314).
Despite having a lower average daily spend, travellers from Germany remain the highest holiday spenders per trip, followed by the UK, which reflects their longer lengths of stay.
The top reason for visiting New Zealand was landscapes and scenery at 74.4 percent. Nature continues to be a strong draw for holidaymakers, with 80 percent visiting our natural attractions (such as lakes, mountains, rivers), 79 percent enjoying a walk, hike, trek or tramp, and 62 percent visiting a national park.
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