NZ’s adventure capital of Queenstown is leading the way when it comes to the destinations Aussies are returning to in Aotearoa post the pandemic.
New statistics released at the Auckland Airport Tourism Forum found Queenstown is a rising star when it comes to Australian visitors to Aotearoa.
Queenstown was the only destination to see real growth at 117 per cent of 2019 levels, while for the rest of the country, the visiting friends and family recovery is at 86 per cent of 2019 levels, and 70 per cent for holidaymakers.
The forum, which takes place every year before the opening of New Zealand’s tourism business event TRENZ, revealed there were 1.27 million Australian visitors who travelled to New Zealand overall in the 12 months to February 2024, compared with 1.54 million in 2019.
The gap in the Australian inbound tourism recovery represents New Zealand’s largest visitor volume shortfall (-265,000 visitors) compared to pre-pandemic, when Australia made up 40 per cent of all international visitors to New Zealand, making it the biggest inbound tourism market.
In 2019, New Zealand was a priority destination for Australians, making up 13 per cent of all of their outbound international trips. This is now down to 12 per cent, compared to Indonesia which is topping the travel destination list at 14 per cent of all Australian outbound trips, making it the largest destination market (1.4 million Australian trips).
Getting more Aussies into Aotearoa
Auckland Airport’s Chief Executive, Carrie Hurihanganui says this provides a good opportunity for New Zealand’s tourism sector to focus its combined efforts on the Australian tourism market and look for ways to drive growth from the inbound Australian market.
“Aotearoa New Zealand is a beautiful and desirable destination, but we know we have work to do in continuing to attract Australian tourists here and ensuring other parts of New Zealand join Queenstown in being a holiday hot spot.”
“When we think of tourism, it’s often easy to think of the long-haul trips. However, our neighbours across the ditch are our number one volume visitor market.
“We need to ensure we remain attractive and relevant to Australian travellers as a destination in a competitive global tourism market that is also vying for high-value Aussie visitors.
Airline seat capacity between Australia and New Zealand has also fallen 13 per cent compared to pre-pandemic levels, while trans-Tasman seat capacity to Queenstown is up 17 per cent.
Hurihanganui says one of the ways for New Zealand to attract more Australian tourists is by increasing seat capacity between the two countries, leading to greater choice for travellers, which also puts downward pressure on airfares.
Auckland and Rotorua sign MOU in bid to get more Aussies to Aotearoa
To help keep New Zealand on the radar of Australian tourists, Auckland Airport, Tātaki Auckland Unlimited, and RotoruaNZ have come together to sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU).
The partners will work together on attracting Australian leisure tourists to visit both Auckland and Rotorua in a single trip, showcasing the unique set of experiences these two Kiwi destinations in combination have to offer.
Tātaki Auckland Unlimited’s Director Destination, Annie Dundas says Tāmaki Makaurau/Auckland offers a great break for visitors.
“It’s a region surrounded by nature and we have beautiful islands right on our doorstep.
“Rotorua is a vibrant cultural and adventure destination with so much to see and do. Our aim is to share experiences in both Auckland and Rotorua that are distinctly different from what you can get in Sydney. For example, a day trip to Waiheke Island, or a geothermal and Māori experience in Rotorua.
“We will be working in partnership to encourage Australians to enjoy what our largest city has on offer combined with all that Rotorua provides.”
For more information, visit aucklandunlimited.com.
