New Zealand welcomed a record number of visitors from several of its biggest markets in the year to September 2026, official figures show, as a weaker currency and extra air links helped draw travellers back.

Stats NZ said overseas visitor arrivals reached 3.74 million in the 12 months to September, an increase of 310,000 on the previous year. Arrivals from Australia rose by 124,000 to 1.61 million, while arrivals from China climbed by 94,000 to 340,000.

Record arrivals from key markets

The year brought record annual arrivals from Australia, the United States, Taiwan and Singapore. Visitors from the United States reached 390,000, while arrivals from Taiwan totalled 68,000 and from Singapore 66,000. India also set a record for a September year, with 83,000 arrivals.

September itself was the strongest September on record, with 273,000 overseas visitors. Australia supplied the largest share, accounting for 143,700 arrivals, or just over half of the month's total.

Weak dollar and wellness travel

Bloomberg reported that the record number of American visitors reflected growing interest in wellness travel, favourable exchange rates and improved air connections. A softer New Zealand dollar has made holidays cheaper for overseas visitors, while airlines have added capacity on key routes.

Auckland Airport has said about six million international seats are scheduled between November and March, up 5 per cent on the previous summer. China-Auckland capacity is set to rise 9 per cent to 614,000 seats over the same period.

Tourism is one of New Zealand's largest export earners, and the continued recovery in arrivals suggests the sector is moving closer to the levels seen before the pandemic disrupted international travel.