Visitor arrivals to New Zealand climbed 8.0% year-on-year to 288,546 in April 2026, slowing sharply from a 15.1% rise in March, driven largely by gains from China.
However, the number of visitors was the smallest since January, with growth slowing to its weakest pace in three months, underscoring the impact of rising oil prices due to the ongoing Middle East conflict.
Arrivals from China surged by 11,100, followed by Australia (up 5,500), the United States (up 3,100), Japan (up 1,500), Taiwan (up 1,300), India (up 1,200), and Malaysia (up 1,000), while those from the United Kingdom declined (down 3,300).
Overall, total overseas visitor arrivals reached 94% of pre-pandemic levels, compared with 307,400 in March 2019.
Australians remained the largest source of visitors, accounting for 49% of the total, followed by China (11%), the US (9%), the United Kingdom (3%), and India (3%), highlighting a continued recovery in international tourism demand.