New Zealand tourism nears pre-pandemic levels as Kiwis travel abroad more

International tourism in New Zealand is slowly recovering, with September 2024 visitor numbers reaching nearly 87% of pre-pandemic levels. Stats NZ reported 3.23 million arrivals for the year, up 463,000 from September 2023 but still below 2019's 3.9 million. Notable increases in arrivals came from China, Australia, and the United States. Chinese visitors rose by 140,000 to 246,000, Australians increased by 73,000 to 1.33 million, and U.S. arrivals grew by 55,000 to 359,000. However, the month-to-month comparison shows only a slight improvement. September 2024 saw 226,900 overseas arrivals, just 2,000 more than in September 2023.