Page last updated: 11 October 2024
Queenstown is known globally as a top destination for adventure seekers, offering activities like bungee jumping, skydiving, and white-water rafting.
How many people visit Queenstown every year?
Over 368,000 international arrivals travelled to Queenstown in 2023, according to Queenstown Airport.1
- This represented a 13.6% increase from the 324,000 international visitors in 2019 and an 89.7% increase from the previous year’s 194,000.
- This also marked a recovery from the 2020 and 2021 pandemic years, when there were only 72,000 and 18,000 international arrivals, respectively.
How much do visitors spend in Queenstown every year?
Visitors spent over $2.8 billion during their visit to Queenstown in the year ending March 2023.2
- Domestic tourists contributed $1.4 billion, while international tourists accounted for $1.41 billion of the total spending.
- Total tourism revenue represented a 79.2% increase compared to the $1.57 billion spent in the same period in 2022.
- However, it was 1.8% lower than the $2.86 billion recorded in the year ending March 2019.
Where do visitors to Queenstown come from?
From 2019 to 2023, most international visitors to Queenstown were from Australia.
- Following Australia, the top sources of tourists included the United States, the United Kingdom, China, and South Korea.3
New Zealand Travel Resources
How many people visited Queenstown in 2022?
In 2022, Queenstown Airport reported 194,000 international visitor arrivals.
- This represented a 977.8% increase from the 18,000 arrivals in 2021, but still 40.1% down from the peak of 324,000 arrivals in 2019.
How much did visitors spend in Queenstown in 2022?
Tourism revenue reached $1.57 billion for the year ending March 2022.
- Spending by domestic tourists was $1.43 billion, with international tourists contributing $138.3 million.
- This marked a recovery with a 2.9% increase from the previous year.
Impact of Coronavirus – Queenstown Tourism Statistics 2020 and 2021
- In 2020, the number of international visitor arrivals in Queenstown dropped to 72,000, a 77.8% decrease from the previous year due to the COVID-19 pandemic and travel restrictions.
- The decline continued in 2021, with international arrivals falling to 18,000, a further 75% decrease from the already low 2020 numbers.
From 2020 to 2022, COVID-19 also impacted tourism spending in the Queenstown-Lakes District.
- In the year ending March 2021, tourism spending fell to $1,522.2 million, a 51.2% drop from 2020.
- International spending decreased to $65.1 million due to travel bans, while domestic spending increased to $1,457.1 million.
- There was a small recovery with total spending at $1,566.1 million in the year ending March 2022, a 2.9% rise from 2021.
- Domestic visitors spent $1,427.7 million, and international spending increased slightly to $138.3 million as some travel restrictions were lifted.
Queenstown Tourism Statistics 2019
Queenstown Airport welcomed over 324,000 international arrivals in 2019.
- In the fiscal year ending March 2019, the Queenstown-Lakes District saw tourism spending reach $2.86 billion.
- This total comprised $896.6 million from domestic tourists and $1.96 billion from international tourists.
- By the end of March 2020, total tourism spending climbed to $3.12 billion, marking a 9.1% increase from the previous year.
- Despite a slight decrease in domestic spending to $892.8 million, international spending rose to $2.23 billion.
Top Attractions in Queenstown
- Lake Wakatipu: A major attraction with over 3 million visitors annually, offering activities such as kayaking, paddleboarding, and rides on the TSS Earnslaw steamship.
- Queenstown Hill: A hiking destination with over 1 million visitors annually. The Queenstown Trail, spanning more than 130 km, provides access to diverse landscapes, including lakefronts, river gorges, and countryside.
- Skyline Queenstown: Offering gondola rides, a restaurant at the top station, and various activities, it attracts over 900,000 visitors annually.
- Kiwi Park: A wildlife park focused on New Zealand’s native species, including the kiwi bird, attracting over 50,000 visitors annually.
- Queenstown Gardens: Located on a peninsula by Lake Wakatipu, the gardens feature walking trails, a disc golf course, and picnic spots, drawing visitors year-round.
New Zealand Travel Statistics Resources
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America Travel Statistics Resources
- Canada Statistics (incl. Montreal, Toronto, Vancouver)
- Mexico Statistics (incl. Cancun)
- Panama Statistics
- Peru Statistics (incl. Machu Picchu)
- USA Statistics
