International Visitors and Events Sustaining Hotel Performance
Despite ongoing geopolitical turmoil globally, New Zealand’s hotel sector delivered another strong month in April, with hotel performance data according to Hotel Data New Zealand (HDNZ) showing healthy RevPAR growth across the country’s key centres, supported by robust international arrivals and a full calendar of major events. While domestic demand showed some early signs of softening, international visitors continued to drive performance, particularly in higher-quality hotel segments in Auckland, Queenstown, Wellington, and Christchurch.
International visitor arrivals, measured by border crossings by non-New Zealand residents, were up 9% year on year in April. Growth was led by an 11% increase in arrivals from Australia, a 17% increase from the People’s Republic of China and a 4% rise from the USA. Compared to 2019, total international arrivals reached 95% of pre-pandemic levels, with China still down around 10% and other smaller arrival markets down 16%, while arrivals from Australia and the USA were on par with April 2019. Demand from Australia was likely supported by the strength of Australian dollar which was around 13% up against the NZD compared to a year ago.
Download the report below to read our full analysis and regional highlights.
New Zealand Hotel Performance Focus April 2026
