Tourism sector's contribution to New Zealand
Before COVID-19, tourism was New Zealand's largest export industry and delivered $40.9 billion to the country. Tourism made a significant positive impact on regional economies supporting employment by directly employing 8.4 percent (229,566 people) of the New Zealand workforce.
For the year ended March 2020:
- Tourism was still New Zealand’s biggest export industry until the beginning of 2020, contributing 20.1% of foreign exchange earnings.
- Total tourism expenditure was $41.9 billion, up 2.4 percent ($1.0 billion) from the previous year.
- International tourism expenditure increased 2.7 percent ($371 million) to $17.5 billion, and contributed 20.1 percent to New Zealand’s total exports of goods and services.
- Despite the increase in expenditure, the number of short-term arrivals to New Zealand decreased 5.6 percent in the same period.
- Domestic tourism expenditure increased 2.7 percent ($629 million) to $24.4 billion.
- Tourism generated a direct contribution to gross domestic product (GDP) of $16.4 billion, or 5.5 percent of GDP.
- The indirect value added of industries supporting tourism generated an added $11.2 billion, or 4.0 percent of GDP.
- 225,384 people were directly employed in tourism (8.0 percent of the total number of people employed in New Zealand), an increase of 2.5 percent from the previous year.
- Tourists generated $3.9 billion in goods and services tax (GST) revenue, with $1.8 billion coming from international tourists.
