Queenstown Tourism Statistics

Page last updated: 30 October 2025

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 412,897 international arrivals were reported by Queenstown Airport in 2024.¹

• This represented a 22.7% decrease from the 324,079 international visitors in 2019 and a 12.2% increase from 2023’s 368,045.

• This also marked a recovery from the 2020 and 2021 pandemic years, when there were only 72,023 and 17,993 international arrivals, respectively.

How many people visited Queenstown in 2024?

• Queenstown welcomed 412,897 international visitors in 2024. This number reflected an increase from the 368,045 arrivals in 2023 and surpassed the pre-pandemic peak of 324,079 arrivals recorded in 2019 by 27.4%.

How much do visitors spend in Queenstown every year?

Visitors spent approximately $2.83 billion during their visit to Queenstown in the year ending March 2025.²

• The tourism revenue remained constant with 2024’s figure and only 0.02 billion higher than 2023’s figure ($2.81 billion).

• Total tourism revenue in 2025 represented over 80% increase compared to the $1.53 billion in 2021 and $1.57 billion in 2022. 

• However, it was 9.3% lower than the $3.12 billion recorded in the year ending March 2020.

• In 2025, domestic tourists contributed $1.04 billion, while international tourists accounted for $1.79 billion of the total spending.

How much did tourists spend in Queenstown in 2025?

Visitors spent $2.83 billion in the fiscal year ending March 2025, 9.3% below the year ending March 2020.

• International visitors spent $1.79 billion, while domestic visitors spent $1.04 billion in that year.

How much did tourists spend in Queenstown in 2024?

Tourist spending in Queenstown reached $2.83 billion, marking only 20 million increase from the previous year. 

• Domestic spending accounted for $1.13 billion of this total, marking a 19.3% decrease. 
• Spending by international visitors rose by 20.6% to $1.7 billion.

How much does it cost to visit Queenstown?

Tourists going to Queenstown spend an average of approximately NZD 4,338. This figure highlights Queenstown’s position as a high-value tourism destination, attracting travelers who contribute significantly to local economic activity through accommodation, adventure tourism, dining, and luxury experiences.

Where do visitors to Queenstown come from?

Australia, the USA, the United Kingdom, South Korea, and China were the primary sources of tourists to Queenstown in 2024.

• Visitors to Queenstown mainly came from Australia, which accounted for 303,949 visitors in 2024.³

• The USA followed with 25,755 visitors, while the United Kingdom contributed 10,883 visitors.

• South Korea and China completed the top five with 9,726 and 8,746 visitors, respectively.

What were the peak tourist months in Queenstown?

• In 2024, Queenstown’s most popular month was August, with 46,790 visitors. 

• December and July were close behind, attracting 46,630 and 43,611 visitors, respectively. 

• September and January also saw significant numbers, with 39,125 and 38,958 visitors, respectively.

What is the best time to visit Queenstown?

The best time to visit Queenstown sustains year-round tourism, March to April presents the most balanced combination of climate comfort, scenic value, and manageable visitor density, making it the most advantageous time for general leisure and sightseeing purposes.

• For adventure and warm-weather recreation, December to February offers the best climate and full activity availability.

• For scenic beauty and balanced travel conditions, March to April is widely regarded as the most favorable period, combining moderate temperatures with autumnal landscapes.
  

• For winter sports, July to August provides peak ski conditions across major alpine resorts.

How popular is Queenstown as a tourist destination?

• In the 2025 Travel + Leisure World’s Best Awards, Queenstown was ranked 4th best city in the Australia–New Zealand–South Pacific region, and was inducted into the Hall of Fame for achieving consistently high scores over three years.

• According to the World Travel Awards profile, Queenstown has been nominated for “World’s Leading City Destination” in 2024 and 2025, as well as “Oceania’s Leading City Destination” in those years.

New Zealand Travel Resources

What are the main reasons people visit Queenstown?

Spending holidays is the main reason for international tourists visiting Queenstown each year.

• In 2024, holiday visits were the primary reason for visiting, accounting for approximately 330,770 visitors, a 14.8% increase from the previous year. 

• Visiting friends and relatives was the second most popular reason, with about 43,897 visitors, up 3.5% from 2023. 

• Business travel, while smaller in number, still contributed with 7,801 visitors, though this represented a 7.5% decrease from the last 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.

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References

1.  TRA: Tourism Visitor Summary ↩︎
2.  TRA: Tourism Value and Expenditure Growth ↩︎
3.  QNZ: Queenstown Insights and Statistics  ↩︎