Visitors travelling from overseas to visit New Zealand have long made a significant contribution to the economy and so far 2024 is looking no different. International tourism was the country’s second-highest export earner at the year-end of March 2024, and visitors spent $11.2 billion.
In the most recent quarter, January 1 to March 31, visitors spent $4.5 billion, a 34 per cent increase compared to the same period in 2023. However, the nosier question some may have is, what visitors are spending the most? To find out, we dive into the Government’s International Visitor Survey, which ranks New Zealand’s largest visitor markets; Australia, Asia, US, UK, Germany, Canada, rest of Europe and rest of world.
Total spend goes to Aussies Visitors from Australia boasted the largest total cash spend during the year ending March 31, 2024, dropping $11.2b; an amout largely correlated to the massive number of Aussies who visited during the year. Asia was in second place with $2.
7b and the US was in third with $1.6b. At the bottom of the list, Germany was the second lowest spending with a total of $463 million, and Canada spent the least ($240m).
However, when spend is broken down by the amount individual visitor typically spends, Germany shoots straight to the top of the list. Germans spend the most Each visitor from Germany typically spent $6373 during a holiday in New Zealand, equal to pre-pandemic levels. The rest of Europe took second place ($4355) and Canada in third ($3469).
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