Tourist numbers back to pre-pandemic levels thanks to Aussie surge
Otago Daily Times Online News [Unofficial]
February 13, 2026
A Jetstar flight arrives in Dunedin from Coolangatta last year. Australia was the biggest source of visitors to New Zealand in 2025. Photo: Gregor Richardson
Tourist arrivals topped 3.5 million for the first time since the Covid-19 pandemic, driven by a surge in Australian visitors.
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