Our take on the latest Tourism data (Fri 20 Jan 2023)
Foreign tourist arrivals total 231,300 in November
Monthly “net” tourism turns positive, totals 42,200
Australian tourist arrivals at 82% of pre-pandemic levels
The key numbers...
- Inbound tourist arrivals totalled 231,300 in November 2022, equal to around 62% of November 2019 (pre-pandemic) monthly arrivals. November was the first month with more than 200,000 tourist arrivals since the pandemic began.
- Inbound arrivals outnumbered New Zealand tourist departures by 42,200, turning monthly “net” tourism positive after 16 consecutive months of “net” tourist outflows. However, this trend was expected given usual seasonal patterns, and the recovery of New Zealand tourist departures (189,100) is still stronger than arrivals, at 76% of November 2019 pre-pandemic levels.
- There were 27,100 tourist arrivals to Queenstown Airport in November 2022, 4% greater than pre-pandemic levels (November 2019). Other airports remain slower to recover, with arrivals into Wellington, Auckland, and Christchurch at 67%, 61%, and 51% of pre-pandemic levels respectively.
- Australian arrivals surpassed 82% of pre-pandemic levels in November. Arrivals from the UK and the United States continue to recover, reaching 69% and 65% of pre-pandemic levels.
More arrivals than departures in November
Monthly tourism passenger counts
...and our reaction
- November was a strong month for both overseas tourist arrivals and New Zealand tourist departures. More tourist arrivals than departures saw “net” tourism turning positive for the first time since June 2021. This trend follows a typical seasonal pattern where more Kiwis depart New Zealand than overseas tourists arrive in winter months, before warmer weather attracts more overseas tourists than departing Kiwis.
- Although the return to typical seasonal patterns is encouraging, “net” tourism in November 2022 was about a third of the net tourist level in November 2019, which highlights the large runway still to go for summer tourism recovery.
- Chinese tourist arrivals were at 7% of pre-pandemic levels in November. Despite the recent Chinese border reopening, hopes for a rebound in the coming Chinese New Year period are sinking, with little evidence that Chinese are flocking overseas.
- Global economic conditions are expected to deteriorate over 2023, which could moderate the strong bounce back in both arrivals and departures. High inflation and rising interest rates both at home and in key international markets will squeeze the travel budgets of Kiwis and foreign tourists alike.
- Labour shortages remain a concern for the tourism sector, with jobs filled by workers in their 20s continuing to decline. An overall slowdown in economic growth will provide for some slack in the labour market, and could help to alleviate some of the sector’s capacity constraints.
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