Overseas visitors back to 99% of 2019 levels, with China and Queenstown driving growth
New Zealand recorded 248,700 overseas visitor arrivals in August 2026, up 18,400 on August 2025, according to Stats NZ's International travel release, as published by Mirage News. That is 99% of the 251,100 visitors who arrived in August 2019, before the pandemic.
China added more arrivals than any other country, up 6,500 on a year earlier. Australia was up 5,800, Stats NZ figures show. Infometrics economist Nick Brunsdon, quoted in the NZ Herald, said China overtook Australia as a growth driver in August. "Chinese arrivals grew 32% per annum in August, accounting for 35% of total visitor arrival growth," he said. By his figures, Australian arrivals rose 4.9% and made up 32% of the growth. US arrivals grew 17% and made up 11%.
China's share of all visitors is still lower than before the pandemic: 11% in August, against 12% in August 2019, Stats NZ said.
Brunsdon also pointed south. "The South Island continues to dominate growth in international visitor arrivals, with Queenstown and Christchurch airports together accounting for 76% of growth from August 2025 to August 2026," he told the Herald.
Australia is still the biggest market by far. Australians made up 51% of August visitors, up from 49% in August 2019, and the 125,600 who came set a record for an August month. Taiwan, with 5,800 arrivals, and Singapore, with 4,600, also set August records. Compared with August 2025, arrivals from the United States rose by 2,000, Malaysia by 1,300, Taiwan by 800, Indonesia by 700 and Japan by 600, according to Stats NZ.
The United Kingdom fell by 600. It was the only drop among the larger markets in the release.
ASB senior economist Mark Smith and Brunsdon both credit the weak New Zealand dollar. "Despite the geopolitical ructions, the low NZD has boosted the NZ tourism sector and supporting industries," Smith said in the Herald piece. Brunsdon put it from the visitor's side: "Foreign visitors are finding their budgets stretch further, making New Zealand more attractive than it was a year ago."
Annual growth eased to 8.0% in August from 8.5% in July, the smallest rise in three months, Trading Economics reported. Seasonally adjusted arrivals still rose, from 309,900 in July to 318,600 in August, according to the Stats NZ release.