International Travel by New Zealanders

IBISWorld expects international travel by New Zealanders to climb by 5.0% in 2024-25 to 3.16 million departures. This increase occurs on account of a strong desire from New Zealanders to desire unique experiences, particularly involving hiking and nature. According to Google Consumer Insights, many travellers are seeking what’s known as affordable luxury, whereby people want high-end experiences without breaking the bank, typically upgrading transportation, accommodation or attending unique events. Particularly driving travel, not just from New Zealand but globally, is the European Football Championship 2024 in Germany and the Paris Olympic games in France.

The COVID-19 pandemic had a drastic impact on international travel by New Zealanders. To mitigate the spread of the virus in the country, the New Zealand government implemented strict border restrictions on international travel in March 2020. This substantially drove down international travel by New Zealanders in 2020-21 by 97.1%, resulting in the largest single-year decrease on record. Nevertheless, the rollout of the COVID-19 vaccine and the reopening of borders from countries have encouraged international travel by New Zealanders since then. International departures returned to near pre-pandemic level in 2023-24.