Foreign Visitor Arrivals in New Zealand climbed 14.8% for the year ended December, slowing from the previous period's 30.4%.

Stats NZ noted that the December 2023 number of overseas visitors is 79% of the pre-COVID-19 number of 528,200 from December of 2019.

Stats NZ also noted a surge in migrant arrivals in the country for the year ended December, with 254,700 people relocating to New Zealand versus the outflow of 128,700. Migrant arrivals surged 114% while outflows rose 36%.

About New Zealand Visitor Arrivals

The Visitor Arrivals released by the Statistics New Zealand measures the number of visitors to New Zealand. As the tourism industry dominates a large part of the total GDP, the visitor arrivals is an important indicator of the overall economic condition in New Zealand. Normally, a high reading is seen as positive (or bullish) for the NZD, while a low reading is seen as negative (or bearish).