Our take on the latest Tourism data (Fri 11 Oct 2024)
Tourism arrivals rose just 3.6%pa in August 2024
Total arrivals at 85% of pre-pandemic levels
Queenstown Airport arrivals at 119% of pre-pandemic levels
The key numbers...
- Tourism arrivals totalled 214,271 in August 2024, up 3.6%pa from August 2023. Arrivals in August 2024 amounted to 85% of pre-pandemic levels, up from 82% in August 2023. Arrivals have barely recovered through 2024, with 84% recovery for the year to date.
- Tourism arrivals from China totalled 18,791, up 20.9% from August 2023. Arrivals from China have been volatile this year, easing to 64% of pre-pandemic in August 2024, down from 92% in July 2024, although there is an underlying improvement. Arrivals from China made up 8.8% of tourism arrivals in August 2024, compared to 11.7% in August 2019 (pre-pandemic).
- Tourism arrivals from Australia totalled a solid 111,287 in August 2024, up 14% from August 2023, and sitting at 93% of pre-pandemic levels. Arrivals from Australia made up 52% of tourism arrivals in August 2024.
- Queenstown Airport arrivals were at 119% of pre-pandemic levels in August 2024, with Auckland following well behind at 80%. Wellington and Christchurch arrivals are at 74% and 75% respectively.
- Nearly 48% of tourism arrivals in August 2024 came for a holiday, followed by 29% visiting friends or relatives, and 7% for business purposes. The remainder were for other reasons.
Tourist arrivals still yet to truly recover
Tourism arrivals, % of pre-pandemic (2019) levels
...and our reaction
- While there is some volatility month to month, overall Chinese arrivals remain lacklustre due to the strained Chinese economy, contributing only 1.6% to the growth in tourism arrivals in the year to August 2024. The outlook for recovery in the Chinese economy remains weak, and therefore we do not expect Chinese visitor arrivals to fully recover anytime soon.
- The average length of stay in the year to August 2024 was 22 days, up from 18 days in the year to August 2019 (pre-pandemic). The rise in length of stay is driven by all types of visitors staying longer, and a rise in the number of people visiting friends and relatives, who typically stay longer.
- Tourists visiting friends and family will likely remain elevated as we approach the Christmas period, hovering close to pre-pandemic levels. Arrivals for business purposes continue to sit at around 51% of pre-pandemic levels and given the upcoming Christmas season and relatively slow economic climate, we don’t expect this number to jump significantly any time soon.
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