September 17th, 2024
In a significant post-pandemic recovery, New Zealand-resident travellers hit a record number in January 2024, marking the highest number of arrivals for any January on record. Stats NZ revealed on Thursday that 328,100 New Zealand-resident travellers arrived in the country last month, surpassing the pre-COVID figures of previous years.
The big picture: January has traditionally seen a high number of arrivals as New Zealanders return from their summer holidays, predominantly spending time overseas with friends and relatives. This year's figures have notably eclipsed the pre-pandemic numbers of January 2019 and 2020, highlighting a robust recovery in travel habits among New Zealand residents.
Zoom in: The peak of New Zealand-resident traveller arrivals before this was observed in July 2018, with 345,100 arrivals. The favourite destinations for New Zealanders in January 2024 were Australia, China, the United States, Fiji, and India, showcasing a diverse range of travel interests, according to Stats NZ media release.
Visitor arrivals: Alongside resident returns, New Zealand also saw a significant increase in overseas visitor arrivals, with 326,400 tourists visiting in January 2024. This represents a 22 percent increase from January 2023, although it still falls short of the pre-pandemic influx.
Why it matters: While outbound travel from New Zealand has bounced back to pre-pandemic levels, the influx of overseas visitors is gradually recovering but remains about 20 percent lower than the peak years. The main sources of overseas visitors were Australia, the United States, the United Kingdom, and China.
What's next: With overseas visitor arrivals totalling 3.0 million in the year ended January 2024, compared to a peak of 3.9 million in October 2019, the focus now shifts to strategies that could further boost tourism and attract international travellers to New Zealand's shores.