Kia ora THE
New data shows New Zealand’s tourism sector continues to see strong momentum, with both visitor spending and arrivals tracking positively. In March 2026, international visitor arrivals were up 15%, while spend reached $5.7 billion over the January–March quarter, up from $4.6 billion the previous year (IVS March 2026). This means our industry delivered an additional $1.2 billion boost over this summer, highlighting how quickly tourism can drive economic impact across the country. Annual spend also climbed to $13.7 billion, reinforcing tourism’s role as a key export earner. Find out more about the International Visitor Survey data here.
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What a great week at TRENZ in Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland late last month. It was heartening to connect with so many of you from around the country, and indeed the world, and see first-hand how the tourism recovery is continuing.
New Zealand is tantalisingly close to achieving 3.7 million visitor arrivals by the end of the month—setting us up well to achieve 3.9 million arrivals by the end of the year. It’s great to see that international visitor recovery is being spread around the country, with all regions’ international spend up over the summer and into April.
It was also fantastic to see Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland and Tātaki Auckland Unlimited embrace the Tiaki Promise as part of TRENZ celebrations by unveiling a new Tiaki mural next to the New Zealand International Convention Centre (NZICC). The mural is a beautiful and enduring symbol and a great example of industry engagement with the promise. As always, we invite you to share the Tiaki Promise with your visitors.
TNZ's Business Events team has also returned from IMEX Frankfurt 2026, which celebrated its largest show to date, with a record 13,000 participants—including more than 4,500 buyers. This comes as ICCA latest global rankings names New Zealand an “early recovery leader” for the sector, with 73 association meetings hosted in 2025, up from 51 in 2024 and above pre-pandemic levels. These positive results reflect the excellent mahi of the industry.
TNZ attended the Cross-Government-Industry Cruise Forum last week, bringing together government and industry representatives to support the sustainable growth of the cruise sector. Discussions focused on aligning priorities, strengthening coordination, and advancing practical actions. The forum followed Minister Upston’s visit to Miami in April for Seatrade. TNZ attended alongside the New Zealand Cruise Association, representatives from New Zealand ports, Tātaki Auckland Unlimited, and Air New Zealand. Cruise remains a significant contributor to the economy — worth $1.37 billion to New Zealand in the last financial year — and events such as Seatrade are critical for showcasing destination New Zealand on the global stage.
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