Australian Visitors Return to Queenstown in Record Numbers
“Australia remains New Zealand's largest source of international visitors, and Queenstown continues to be one of the biggest beneficiaries of the trans-Tasman recovery this ski season.”
Australia is New Zealand's single largest visitor market. According to RNZ's reporting on Stats NZ visitor data, 1.48 million Australians arrived in New Zealand in the year to September 2025, the second-highest annual total on record behind only 2019. The trans-Tasman route has been the backbone of New Zealand's post-pandemic tourism recovery, and Queenstown's ski season sits directly in its path.
Queenstown's share of the recovery
The Queenstown Lakes district has been one of the clearest beneficiaries. RNZ reported that Queenstown's Australian visitor numbers reached 117% of 2019 levels in the year to February 2024, with around 235,000 Australian arrivals recorded over that period — among the strongest regional recoveries anywhere in the country.
That rebound matters locally. Australians are consistently one of Queenstown's largest international markets, and their spending supports accommodation, hospitality, transport and adventure tourism operators through the ski season and beyond.
Why Australians come south for winter
New Zealand's ski season runs through the middle of the Australian winter, and Queenstown's terrain at Coronet Peak and The Remarkables is larger than most Australian resorts can offer. That seasonal overlap is one reason the trans-Tasman market leans so heavily toward Queenstown during the ski months.
An easy way to experience the snow
Not every visitor wants to ski. Tours built around snow access without lift tickets or lessons have become a popular option for first-time visitors and families travelling from Australia.
