Travel continued to run hot in the year to May, with a record number of Kiwis returning from overseas trips.
The latest Stats NZ figures show that the annual number of returning New Zealand resident travellers hit 3.1 million, exceeding the previous record of 3.06 million for the May year in 2019.
There were record Kiwi arrivals from some destinations including Australia (1.30 million), China (172,000), India (116,000), and the Cook Islands (115,000). However, Kiwi travel back from the United States was down for the year by 28,000 to 140,000. Overall figures for the May month showed a dip. Resident traveller arrivals were 227,100, a decrease of 11,900 from May 2025.
There were record Kiwi arrivals, for a May month, from some destinations including Fiji which was up 16,200, Japan (9000), and the Philippines (5700).
Travel back from Vietnam was also up (by 600) but other markets fell compared to the same month a year ago. Kiwi arrivals back from the US were down 3100 in May; from Britain down 1600; from Indonesia down 1200; from India down 700; and from China down by 600 year-on-year.
. . . The May Numbers
The total number of New Zealandresident traveller arrivals in May 2026 was 97% of the 235,200 in May 2019 (before the C-19 pandemic).
Of the Kiwi arrivals in May 2026, 44% were from Australia, 7% were from Fiji and 5% were from each of China and the US.
