New Zealand

International visitor numbers jump 40% in a decade

16:37 pm on 24 July 2018

Business is booming for the New Zealand tourism industry the number of international visitors climbing by more than 40 percent in the past decade.

Stats NZ reports more than 3.7 million visitors arrived in the last financial year; up from 2.4m in 2008.

Australians still account for most annual arrivals, with more than 1.4m visits in the last financial year.

However, the largest surge in visitor numbers has been from further afield in the past two financial years, including the Philippines and Brazil.

People from Argentina represented the biggest jump with 23,296 visitors arriving last financial year - 38 percent up on the previous year.

Holidaymakers remain the biggest section of the overseas visitor market, followed by people visiting friends and relatives.

Auckland Airport was the first port of call for most international visitors, although Queenstown, Christchurch and seaports all experienced a boost.