Stats NZ

International travel: March 2024

International travel covers the number and characteristics of overseas visitors and New Zealand resident travellers (short-term movements) entering or leaving New Zealand.

Key facts

Annual arrivals
Monthly arrivals – overseas visitors
Monthly arrivals – New Zealand-resident travellers
Border crossings
Resumption of seasonally adjusted and trend series

Annual arrivals

Overseas visitor arrivals were 3.18 million in the March 2024 year, increasing by 984,000 from the March 2023 year. The biggest changes were in arrivals from:

  • China (up 177,000 to 211,000)
  • Australia (up 167,000 to 1.29 million)
  • United States (up 149,000 to 376,000)
  • India (up 51,000 to 88,000)
  • Korea (up 41,000 to 70,000)
  • Japan (up 34,000 to 60,000).

New Zealand-resident traveller arrivals were 2.84 million in the March 2024 year, increasing by 1.00 million from the March 2023 year. The biggest changes were in arrivals from:

  • Australia (up 391,000 to 1.13 million)
  • China (up 109,000 to 126,000)
  • United States (up 60,000 to 168,000)
  • Fiji (up 44,000 to 205,000)
  • Japan (up 43,000 to 61,000)
  • Samoa (up 40,000 to 66,000)
  • Indonesia (up 36,000 to 58,000).

Monthly arrivals – overseas visitors

Overseas visitor arrivals were 340,300 in the March 2024 month, increasing by 74,200 from the March 2023 month. The biggest changes were in arrivals from:

  • Australia (up 21,100)
  • United States (up 13,200)
  • China (up 10,000)
  • Korea (up 3,200)
  • United Kingdom (up 2,600)
  • Taiwan (up 2,400)
  • Japan (up 2,300).

The March 2024 number of overseas visitor arrivals was 90 percent of the pre-COVID-19 number of 378,300 in March 2019.

March 2024 visitor numbers were likely boosted by the timing of the Easter holiday, which was in late March in 2024 and in early April in 2023.

Of the 340,300 overseas visitor arrivals in March 2024:

  • 39 percent were from Australia (compared with 36 percent in March 2019)
  • 16 percent were from the United States (13 percent in March 2019)
  • 6 percent were from the United Kingdom (6 percent in March 2019)
  • 5 percent were from China (11 percent in March 2019).
Created with Highcharts 5.0.14NumberMonths before March 2020 are no longer revised for seasonally adjusted series. Months from March 2020 to December 2022 reflect actual values without seasonal adjustment.Monthly overseas visitor arrivals, March 2014–2024ActualSeasonally adjustedMar-2014Sep-2014Mar-2015Sep-2015Mar-2016Sep-2016Mar-2017Sep-2017Mar-2018Sep-2018Mar-2019Sep-2019Mar-2020Sep-2020Mar-2021Sep-2021Mar-2022Sep-2022Mar-2023Sep-2023Mar-2024Jun-2014Dec-2014Jun-2015Dec-2015Jun-2016Dec-2016Jun-2017Dec-2017Jun-2018Dec-2018Jun-2019Dec-2019Jun-2020Dec-2020Jun-2021Dec-2021Jun-2022Dec-2022Jun-2023Dec-20230200k400k600kStats NZ

Monthly overseas visitor arrivals, March 2014–2024

Created with Highcharts 5.0.14NumberMonthly overseas visitor arrivals, March 2014–2024ActualSeasonally adjustedMar-2014Sep-2014Mar-2015Sep-2015Mar-2016Sep-2016Mar-2017Sep-2017Mar-2018Sep-2018Mar-2019Sep-2019Mar-2020Sep-2020Mar-2021Sep-2021Mar-2022Sep-2022Mar-2023Sep-2023Mar-2024Jun-2014Dec-2014Jun-2015Dec-2015Jun-2016Dec-2016Jun-2017Dec-2017Jun-2018Dec-2018Jun-2019Dec-2019Jun-2020Dec-2020Jun-2021Dec-2021Jun-2022Dec-2022Jun-2023Dec-20230200k400k600kStats NZ
Month-YearActualSeasonally adjusted
Mar-2014253,561229,390
Apr-2014224,194232,420
May-2014161,355235,750
Jun-2014162,122236,630
Jul-2014196,856240,680
Aug-2014188,849237,310
Sep-2014193,329236,820
Oct-2014210,597243,890
Nov-2014270,408246,380
Dec-2014402,518247,820
Jan-2015302,432246,140
Feb-2015343,457265,420
Mar-2015291,784250,900
Apr-2015237,966255,520
May-2015176,697258,160
Jun-2015176,961261,480
Jul-2015207,984254,320
Aug-2015202,879261,140
Sep-2015216,984268,140
Oct-2015229,379264,070
Nov-2015300,521270,510
Dec-2015444,883272,410
Jan-2016343,446279,160
Feb-2016373,376278,240
Mar-2016344,387285,620
Apr-2016256,685283,700
May-2016193,643285,810
Jun-2016196,223287,240
Jul-2016237,872297,000
Aug-2016221,181291,520
Sep-2016245,089298,890
Oct-2016260,246300,850
Nov-2016333,598297,360
Dec-2016494,193298,760
Jan-2017381,068303,590
Feb-2017380,034299,370
Mar-2017343,799307,680
Apr-2017311,866319,920
May-2017209,170312,750
Jun-2017230,088339,280
Jul-2017246,945312,470
Aug-2017233,991307,930
Sep-2017252,746310,910
Oct-2017270,515310,630
Nov-2017360,136312,800
Dec-2017513,349309,340
Jan-2018379,228311,700
Feb-2018423,456324,940
Mar-2018388,327322,210
Apr-2018283,910318,280
May-2018222,079332,210
Jun-2018212,245319,980
Jul-2018250,523319,920
Aug-2018246,682322,560
Sep-2018258,155318,080
Oct-2018283,568325,270
Nov-2018385,789326,890
Dec-2018529,255318,560
Jan-2019399,346324,880
Feb-2019417,934320,100
Mar-2019378,270344,760
Apr-2019307,409323,530
May-2019219,331329,260
Jun-2019213,536327,530
Jul-2019255,585330,630
Aug-2019251,131326,210
Sep-2019261,770323,520
Oct-2019283,834319,960
Nov-2019372,108312,250
Dec-2019528,219315,500
Jan-2020410,778319,030
Feb-2020372,745286,730
Mar-2020175,521175,520
Apr-20201,7211,720
May-20202,1892,190
Jun-20203,5213,520
Jul-20203,4813,480
Aug-20204,7824,780
Sep-20205,5195,520
Oct-20205,0735,070
Nov-20205,1165,120
Dec-20205,9045,900
Jan-20215,4485,450
Feb-20215,2975,300
Mar-20214,6394,640
Apr-202131,93131,930
May-202157,60557,600
Jun-202151,59051,590
Jul-202130,20930,210
Aug-20212,6762,680
Sep-20212,3102,310
Oct-20213,6873,690
Nov-20215,3095,310
Dec-20216,1616,160
Jan-20224,0334,030
Feb-20225,2355,240
Mar-202228,62428,620
Apr-202254,30354,300
May-202272,75572,760
Jun-202294,64894,650
Jul-2022134,175134,180
Aug-2022129,753129,750
Sep-2022151,270151,270
Oct-2022161,636161,640
Nov-2022232,684232,680
Dec-2022364,716364,720
Jan-2023268,298209,020
Feb-2023268,704217,040
Mar-2023266,131246,520
Apr-2023221,271240,020
May-2023160,335253,880
Jun-2023178,426272,060
Jul-2023213,806276,510
Aug-2023206,783266,220
Sep-2023224,909274,400
Oct-2023225,979252,900
Nov-2023303,429250,570
Dec-2023418,869244,710
Jan-2024326,427266,510
Feb-2024362,836270,850
Mar-2024340,306295,620
Created with Highcharts 5.0.14PercentOverseas visitor and NZ-resident traveller arrivals as a proportion of the same month in 2019, monthly, January 2022–March 2024NZ-resident travellersOverseas visitorsJan-2022Feb-2022Mar-2022Apr-2022May-2022Jun-2022Jul-2022Aug-2022Sep-2022Oct-2022Nov-2022Dec-2022Jan-2023Feb-2023Mar-2023Apr-2023May-2023Jun-2023Jul-2023Aug-2023Sep-2023Oct-2023Nov-2023Dec-2023Jan-2024Feb-2024Mar-20240255075100125Stats NZ

Overseas visitor and NZ-resident traveller arrivals as a proportion of the same month in 2019, monthly, January 2022–March 2024

Created with Highcharts 5.0.14PercentOverseas visitor and NZ-resident traveller arrivals as a proportion of the same month in 2019, monthly, January 2022–March 2024NZ-resident travellersOverseas visitorsJan-2022Feb-2022Mar-2022Apr-2022May-2022Jun-2022Jul-2022Aug-2022Sep-2022Oct-2022Nov-2022Dec-2022Jan-2023Feb-2023Mar-2023Apr-2023May-2023Jun-2023Jul-2023Aug-2023Sep-2023Oct-2023Nov-2023Dec-2023Jan-2024Feb-2024Mar-2024050100150Stats NZ
Month-YearNZ-resident travellersOverseas visitors
Jan-20222.61
Feb-20224.51.3
Mar-202215.77.6
Apr-202226.617.7
May-202238.733.2
Jun-202240.844.3
Jul-202248.552.5
Aug-202260.551.7
Sep-20226157.8
Oct-202263.256.9
Nov-202275.862.5
Dec-202265.469
Jan-202374.967.2
Feb-20238464.3
Mar-20238370.4
Apr-202386.572
May-202386.673.1
Jun-202382.583.6
Jul-202384.983.7
Aug-202384.882.3
Sep-202391.185.9
Oct-202395.479.6
Nov-202397.181.5
Dec-202388.379.3
Jan-2024102.281.7
Feb-2024107.386.8
Mar-202497.690

Monthly arrivals – New Zealand-resident travellers

New Zealand-resident traveller arrivals were 190,300 in the March 2024 month, increasing by 28,300 from the March 2023 month. The biggest changes were in arrivals from:

  • Australia (up 23,800)
  • China (up 5,200)
  • Japan (up 1,900)
  • United States (up 1,500)
  • Fiji (up 1,300)
  • Cook Islands (up 1,200)
  • India (down 1,100).

The March 2024 number of New Zealand-resident traveller arrivals was 98 percent of the pre-COVID-19 number of 195,000 in March 2019.

Of the 190,300 New Zealand-resident traveller arrivals in March 2024:

  • 51 percent were from Australia (compared with 52 percent in March 2019)
  • 7 percent were from India (5 percent in March 2019)
  • 5 percent were from Fiji (5 percent in March 2019)
  • 5 percent were from the United States (6 percent in March 2019)
  • 5 percent were from China (5 percent in March 2019).
Created with Highcharts 5.0.14NumberMonths before March 2020 are no longer revised for seasonally adjusted series. Months from March 2020 to December 2022 reflect actual values without seasonal adjustment.Monthly New Zealand-resident traveller arrivals, March 2014–2024ActualSeasonally adjustedMar-2014Sep-2014Mar-2015Sep-2015Mar-2016Sep-2016Mar-2017Sep-2017Mar-2018Sep-2018Mar-2019Sep-2019Mar-2020Sep-2020Mar-2021Sep-2021Mar-2022Sep-2022Mar-2023Sep-2023Mar-2024Jun-2014Dec-2014Jun-2015Dec-2015Jun-2016Dec-2016Jun-2017Dec-2017Jun-2018Dec-2018Jun-2019Dec-2019Jun-2020Dec-2020Jun-2021Dec-2021Jun-2022Dec-2022Jun-2023Dec-20230100k200k300k400kStats NZ

Monthly New Zealand-resident traveller arrivals, March 2014–2024

Created with Highcharts 5.0.14NumberMonthly New Zealand-resident traveller arrivals, March 2014–2024ActualSeasonally adjustedMar-2014Sep-2014Mar-2015Sep-2015Mar-2016Sep-2016Mar-2017Sep-2017Mar-2018Sep-2018Mar-2019Sep-2019Mar-2020Sep-2020Mar-2021Sep-2021Mar-2022Sep-2022Mar-2023Sep-2023Mar-2024Jun-2014Dec-2014Jun-2015Dec-2015Jun-2016Dec-2016Jun-2017Dec-2017Jun-2018Dec-2018Jun-2019Dec-2019Jun-2020Dec-2020Jun-2021Dec-2021Jun-2022Dec-2022Jun-2023Dec-20230100k200k300k400kStats NZ
Month-YearActualSeasonally adjusted
Mar-2014152,432195,620
Apr-2014165,128188,590
May-2014196,231195,030
Jun-2014189,792193,390
Jul-2014247,393193,060
Aug-2014217,096193,790
Sep-2014209,771194,580
Oct-2014254,701196,860
Nov-2014182,726198,950
Dec-2014136,259194,880
Jan-2015246,806201,320
Feb-2015143,015194,640
Mar-2015162,966210,260
Apr-2015198,714204,990
May-2015189,138207,360
Jun-2015201,422205,860
Jul-2015266,351208,010
Aug-2015232,600206,500
Sep-2015219,293203,310
Oct-2015271,450209,550
Nov-2015192,971211,190
Dec-2015144,173210,530
Jan-2016262,570209,260
Feb-2016159,399209,580
Mar-2016164,752210,880
Apr-2016194,126217,650
May-2016214,781220,110
Jun-2016214,579221,860
Jul-2016286,053218,320
Aug-2016247,585221,370
Sep-2016240,404224,570
Oct-2016294,808225,830
Nov-2016206,046226,990
Dec-2016156,094229,190
Jan-2017288,306227,300
Feb-2017184,547252,110
Mar-2017179,276238,060
Apr-2017221,345235,720
May-2017220,392230,980
Jun-2017224,810233,860
Jul-2017311,944235,070
Aug-2017258,628235,000
Sep-2017259,036240,960
Oct-2017319,931243,860
Nov-2017214,488240,150
Dec-2017167,066241,380
Jan-2018316,840248,530
Feb-2018176,835241,340
Mar-2018183,140243,460
Apr-2018235,936247,310
May-2018231,669252,640
Jun-2018244,680249,810
Jul-2018345,136259,840
Aug-2018284,801260,290
Sep-2018278,617256,880
Oct-2018326,229249,930
Nov-2018221,845251,280
Dec-2018174,279249,280
Jan-2019320,945254,560
Feb-2019190,597259,920
Mar-2019194,989255,130
Apr-2019243,302251,490
May-2019235,169264,210
Jun-2019257,310259,460
Jul-2019340,250255,180
Aug-2019284,520259,770
Sep-2019279,754258,370
Oct-2019326,409254,620
Nov-2019233,660261,590
Dec-2019194,522278,990
Jan-2020326,341260,600
Feb-2020190,541249,050
Mar-2020136,721136,720
Apr-20204,0354,040
May-20202,6262,630
Jun-20204,4744,470
Jul-20203,1073,110
Aug-20203,2953,300
Sep-20202,7232,720
Oct-20202,9272,930
Nov-20202,4682,470
Dec-20202,6352,640
Jan-20213,5923,590
Feb-20213,0333,030
Mar-20212,8572,860
Apr-202110,08410,080
May-202129,01929,020
Jun-202129,63829,640
Jul-202136,51736,520
Aug-202113,39813,400
Sep-20213,2103,210
Oct-20213,7793,780
Nov-20213,3643,360
Dec-20214,3884,390
Jan-20228,4758,480
Feb-20228,6048,600
Mar-202230,58830,590
Apr-202264,74164,740
May-202290,96490,960
Jun-2022105,110105,110
Jul-2022165,003165,000
Aug-2022172,269172,270
Sep-2022170,754170,750
Oct-2022206,321206,320
Nov-2022177,010177,010
Dec-2022127,287127,290
Jan-2023240,401190,590
Feb-2023160,075214,770
Mar-2023161,937212,270
Apr-2023210,446208,460
May-2023203,641231,430
Jun-2023212,221215,740
Jul-2023288,827215,650
Aug-2023241,236222,660
Sep-2023254,869236,350
Oct-2023311,415240,010
Nov-2023226,814256,100
Dec-2023171,772249,660
Jan-2024328,125261,140
Feb-2024204,549267,260
Mar-2024190,278244,700

Border crossings

There were 1.13 million border crossings in March 2024, made up of 541,900 arrivals and 588,600 departures. In February 2024 there were 1.12 million border crossings.

March 2024 border crossings were 92 percent of the 1.23 million in March 2019, before the COVID-19 pandemic.

Created with Highcharts 5.0.14NumberApril 2024 data is provisional and subject to revision.Monthly arrivals into and departures from New Zealand, January 2018–April 2024ArrivalsDeparturesJan-2018Mar-2018May-2018Jul-2018Sep-2018Nov-2018Jan-2019Mar-2019May-2019Jul-2019Sep-2019Nov-2019Jan-2020Mar-2020May-2020Jul-2020Sep-2020Nov-2020Jan-2021Mar-2021May-2021Jul-2021Sep-2021Nov-2021Jan-2022Mar-2022May-2022Jul-2022Sep-2022Nov-2022Jan-2023Mar-2023May-2023Jul-2023Sep-2023Nov-2023Jan-2024Mar-20240250k500k750k1 000kStats NZ

Monthly arrivals into and departures from New Zealand, January 2018–April 2024

Created with Highcharts 5.0.14NumberMonthly arrivals into and departures from New Zealand, January 2018–April 2024ArrivalsDeparturesJan-2018Mar-2018May-2018Jul-2018Sep-2018Nov-2018Jan-2019Mar-2019May-2019Jul-2019Sep-2019Nov-2019Jan-2020Mar-2020May-2020Jul-2020Sep-2020Nov-2020Jan-2021Mar-2021May-2021Jul-2021Sep-2021Nov-2021Jan-2022Mar-2022May-2022Jul-2022Sep-2022Nov-2022Jan-2023Mar-2023May-2023Jul-2023Sep-2023Nov-2023Jan-2024Mar-20240250k500k750k1 000kStats NZ
Month-YearArrivalsDepartures
Jan-2018710,957669,707
Feb-2018613,052566,629
Mar-2018581,433637,209
Apr-2018528,093611,557
May-2018461,888512,948
Jun-2018465,410498,576
Jul-2018607,522582,549
Aug-2018541,576546,364
Sep-2018547,787517,143
Oct-2018620,678549,600
Nov-2018616,941574,491
Dec-2018709,897684,081
Jan-2019732,396703,095
Feb-2019619,551572,943
Mar-2019581,581649,055
Apr-2019556,929620,854
May-2019461,656521,903
Jun-2019478,472503,716
Jul-2019606,285575,710
Aug-2019545,162553,058
Sep-2019551,244529,818
Oct-2019620,416550,980
Nov-2019615,277570,864
Dec-2019731,404714,242
Jan-2020748,999709,105
Feb-2020575,209531,003
Mar-2020318,911377,793
Apr-20206,25631,975
May-20205,62210,231
Jun-20209,27014,997
Jul-20209,14018,390
Aug-202011,51514,443
Sep-202011,70015,823
Oct-202012,39213,496
Nov-202011,74113,610
Dec-202012,76617,405
Jan-202113,11913,858
Feb-202112,16013,274
Mar-202111,87814,618
Apr-202147,00338,871
May-202191,29998,183
Jun-202185,35090,196
Jul-202172,02775,899
Aug-202118,82122,513
Sep-20218,2007,855
Oct-202111,0209,752
Nov-202112,32416,370
Dec-202115,35526,413
Jan-202215,91022,685
Feb-202216,31524,639
Mar-202266,05860,136
Apr-2022125,128141,610
May-2022169,043175,715
Jun-2022206,030214,140
Jul-2022308,022324,805
Aug-2022310,283304,552
Sep-2022332,709313,341
Oct-2022378,137340,604
Nov-2022423,495373,864
Dec-2022504,942458,511
Jan-2023521,524502,670
Feb-2023448,064394,665
Mar-2023447,713474,253
Apr-2023446,057480,150
May-2023379,405413,497
Jun-2023406,391425,462
Jul-2023517,796471,790
Aug-2023464,909471,892
Sep-2023496,228487,334
Oct-2023551,202470,571
Nov-2023543,753503,185
Dec-2023602,756602,544
Jan-2024667,246620,193
Feb-2024580,612534,517
Mar-2024541,914588,640
Apr-2024476,524544,931

Resumption of seasonally adjusted and trend series

In October 2023 we resumed the publication of seasonally adjusted and trend series for international travel with the release of August 2023 data.

Methodology for bridging seasonally adjusted international travel and migration series impacted by COVID-19 has more information.

In March 2024, with the release of January 2024 data, a methodological change was made to cope with the impact of the pandemic. Seasonally adjusted and trend series up to February 2020 will no longer be revised, to avoid any unintended revisions in the historical series caused by recent data.

Digital arrival card

A digital arrival card (New Zealand Traveller Declaration – NZTD) is available to travellers who have entered New Zealand from mid-July 2023, alongside the existing paper arrival card. Christchurch and Wellington airports were the first to use the NZTD, followed by Queenstown airport in late July 2023 and Auckland airport in late August 2023.

Data from July 2023 therefore includes a growing proportion of digital responses, although paper responses are still the majority. In March 2024, about 3 in 10 of all traveller arrivals completed the digital NZTD.

The implementation of the NZTD has no impact on the range of statistical information available to international travel and migration customers.

Early and provisional international travel data

Each week, Stats NZ releases early and provisional international travel statistics – International travel (provisional) – to facilitate analysis of the COVID-19 pandemic and the impact on New Zealand’s inbound and outbound tourism sectors.

This includes:

  • weekly travel data for short-term overseas visitor and New Zealand-resident arrivals
  • arrivals and departures data based solely on border crossings into and out of New Zealand
  • stock estimates of visitors in New Zealand and New Zealand residents travelling overseas, based on arrivals and departures.

COVID-19 data portal also has summarised daily data.

More data

Use Infoshare to access time-series data for international travel and migration:

Subject category: Tourism
Group: International travel and migration – ITM

ISSN 2624-2710

Next release

International travel: April 2024 will be released on 12 June 2024.

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