New Zealand Visitor Arrivals Up 6.6% YoY in July

Visitor arrivals to New Zealand rose 6.6% year-on-year to 236,600 in July 2025, driven largely by a surge in visitors from Australia. Australian arrivals reached 126,700, a record for a July month, coinciding with the school holiday period. In contrast, arrivals from China fell by 3,700 and those from the United States decreased by 1,200. Overall, July 2025 arrivals were 93% of the 255,600 recorded in July 2019, before the COVID-19 pandemic. Australians accounted for 55% of visitors, up from 50% in July 2019, while China contributed 10%, the United States 6%, the United Kingdom 3%, and Japan 3%, largely unchanged from pre-pandemic levels. The data reflects both a strong recovery in travel from neighboring Australia and lingering declines in arrivals from some long-haul markets. This trend highlights the continuing impact of travel patterns and seasonal factors on New Zealand’s tourism sector.