The Chinese New Year gave tourism a boost in late summer, according to new data from Stats NZ. 

Overseas visitor arrivals were 370,200 in January, an increase of 43,800 from the same month in 2024. 

“The increase in overseas visitor arrivals from China coincided with the Chinese New Year, which began on January 29,” Stats NZ said. 

More than one third of that increase was due to 15,200 extra Chinese tourists, although all major markets sent more visitors to New Zealand than they did a year earlier. 

But overall numbers have still not reached pre-Covid levels. 

“Monthly arrivals from China typically peak in January or February each year, depending on the timing of the Chinese New Year. In 2024 the Chinese New Year began on 10 February.” 

The total number of overseas visitor arrivals in January was at 93% of the 399,300 people who visited in January 2019. 

Of all the 370,200 overseas visitor arrivals recorded in January, 38% were from Australia, 14% from the US, 10% from China, and 8% from the UK. 

Across the year to January 31, 3.36 million overseas visitors arrived. 

That was up 11.36% on the year before.