Tourism News - September 2026 – International visitor spend rises + new campaign ‘Don’t be a Stranger’ launches today

International visitor spend up 20%

No images? Click here. 9 September 2026 Kia ora THE   The latest International Visitor Survey results are a strong reminder of the value tourism delivers for New Zealand. International tourism contributed $14.3 billion to New Zealand’s economy in the year to June 2026, up 20% on the previous year. Tourism continues to be one of our major economic contributors and remains New Zealand’s second-largest export earner.  It is particularly encouraging to see strong spend growth from our top three visitor markets. Australia contributed $4.4 billion in the 12 months to June 2026, up 25%; the United States contributed $2.2 billion, up 20%; and China contributed $1.5 billion, up 26%. Arrivals continue to grow too, up 9% in June 2026. New Zealand’s audience remains confident, with 85% saying they would be confident to travel in the next 12 months. We now have the largest number of people ever considering a visit to New Zealand, at 183 million. This means we have a larger pool of potential visitors to reach with our marketing, putting New Zealand in a good position heading into summer. _____________________________________________________   I have been offshore over the last couple of weeks and it was great to be in market meeting with key partners. I started my trip in London and attended the premiere of Gary Barlow’s Food and Wine Tour: New Zealand, a six-part ITV series showcasing Aotearoa New Zealand’s world-class food and wine, alongside the people, places and experiences that make New Zealand unique. It was a strong reminder of the power of storytelling to build desire for New Zealand in a market where we still see significant opportunity, despite challenging global conditions impacting the region. The UK remains an important long-haul visitor market for New Zealand, attracting 196,000 visitors in the year to June 2026. Read more about it here. I then went on to China, where we partnered with China Southern Airlines to announce peak-season capacity increases from Guangzhou to Auckland (from 14 to 18-times-weekly) and Christchurch (from seven to 10-times-weekly) from December to mid-February. Together we are undertaking joint-venture activity in market to support our work to grow arrivals from our third largest visitor market. China continues to be an important part of New Zealand’s visitor mix, and building momentum ahead of the peak travel season is a key focus. Watch this space for more China campaign activity and opportunities to grow your China market readiness in the coming weeks.  _____________________________________________________ Today, we are launching our new campaign targeting friends and family, Don’t be a stranger, across Australia, the UK and Canada. Visiting Friends and Relatives visitors contributed $2.6 billion to New Zealand’s economy in the year to June 2026, up 8%. This campaign is about encouraging people who have been thinking about visiting friends and whānau in New Zealand to make the trip now, supporting near-term arrivals growth and the wider visitor economy. Read more about it here.   Across our key markets and campaigns, our focus is consistent: building demand, converting that demand into travel, and supporting the visitor economy to keep growing. Thank you for the part you play in delivering the warm welcome, outstanding experiences and strong industry partnerships that bring New Zealand’s story to life for visitors.   Be sure to follow us on LinkedIn if you’re keen to receive more frequent updates on our activity, industry news and more. As always, please reach out if you have any questions.   Ngā mihi, René de Monchy Chief Executive, Tourism New Zealand Learn how to grow New Zealand tourism’s visibility in AI AI is rapidly changing how travellers discover destinations, compare options and make booking decisions. The NZ Tourism AI Collective provides a forum for the industry to share learnings, discuss emerging trends and collaboratively respond to changes in AI, helping ensure destination New Zealand remains visible, competitive and compelling in an AI-driven travel environment. Please join us for the first session on 15 September, 3-4pm. Details on speakers and content to follow. Register here Regional Tourism Boost Fund (Round 3) recipients announced  Six regional tourism campaigns have received a share of $5 million of funding aimed at encouraging more international visitors to explore destinations across New Zealand. The six campaigns include food, wine, hospitality and regional touring experiences across the North and South Islands, with projects led by regional tourism organisations including RotoruaNZ, Tātaki Auckland Unlimited, Visit Hurunui, WellingtonNZ, ChristchurchNZ and Destination Great Lake Taupō.  Find out more here Business events case study: WONCA showcased NZ rural health Wellington welcomed delegates from 40 countries to the 21st World Organisation of Family Doctors (WONCA) World Rural Health Conference in April this year. The conference was hosted by New Zealand’s national rural health advocacy organisation, Hauora Taiwhenua Rural Health Network with support from its Te Tiriti partners Te Rōpū Ārahi, Business Events Wellington and Tourism New Zealand. New Zealand was chosen thanks to its strong rural demographic, indigenous and community-led health initiatives, and demonstrated commitment to rural health equity. Read more and watch video here New Zealand stars in Gary Barlow’s latest Food and Wine Tour New Zealand will be showcased to millions of UK viewers in Gary Barlow’s Food and Wine Tour: New Zealand, a six-part ITV series highlighting our world-class food and wine, landscapes and visitor experiences.  Tourism New Zealand is supporting the production alongside Great Rail Journeys, Air New Zealand and THL. A complementary conversion campaign to encourage UK audiences to book a trip to New Zealand will run alongside the broadcast of the series, supporting Tourism New Zealand’s focus on driving visitor arrivals in 2026   Read more here Tourism New Zealand, Manaakitanga Aotearoa. PO Box 95, Level 23, Aon Centre, 1 Willis Street, Wellington, New Zealand. Phone +64 4 462 8000 | Email comms@tnz.govt.nz www.tourismnewzealand.com | www.newzealand.com You're receiving this email because you subscribed to our mailing list. Preferences  |  Unsubscribe    Did a friend forward this message? 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