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Americans are heading to New Zealand in record numbers – but visitors from Australia remain the country’s tourism bedrock.

“USA is a star performer,” Tourism Industry Aotearoa chief executive Rebecca Ingram confirmed at TRENZ 2025 in Rotorua, New Zealand.

Ingram was not referring to the 18,000 Americans who had been reported to have investigated moving to New Zealand the day after Donald Trump won the US election last November. History shows that most people who make that sort of spur-of-the-moment inquiry don’t act on it.

Ingram was referring to short-term visitors – tourists. Americans are pouring into New Zealand. Auckland Airport notched up a record 379,000 US travellers in the year to February 2025. That’s an increase of more than 4% over the year before, which was also a strong year for travel from the US.

“Our diversified markets are our strength,” Ingram said. While the US stood out, “China has been growing more quickly over the last year, and visitors from Australia remain the bedrock of our visitor economy.

“India is also notable for the strength of its recovery.”

Ingram continued: “After a strong summer season for many, our members tell us that their number one focus for 2025 is business growth. To compete globally, we must invest, evolve and be seen. The energy at TRENZ proves the industry is innovating, with 40 new products and 20 new operators showcased this week.”

New Zealand consistently punches above its weight in global tourism rankings, recognised for authentic, high-quality experiences.

“TRENZ keeps us top-of-mind for global buyers, turning reputation into real bookings and benefits for Kiwi communities,” Ingram pointed out. “Few countries host trade events dedicated solely to one destination. TRENZ is a strategic asset for New Zealand, connecting businesses with global decision makers.”

Travel buyers from 26 countries are attending TRENZ 2025 in Rotorua, and the 1200 delegates there have held an estimated 16,000 business meetings this week. Organisers report that 2280 meetings took place on the first afternoon of the show.

“Benchmarking off last year, we estimate that 14% of attending businesses will generate more than NZ$ 1 million in turnover from TRENZ,” Ingram said.

“And then there’s the event’s impact being here in Rotorua, with over NZ$ 3 million of economic impact expected because we’re all eating, drinking, sleeping and experiencing.

Tourism is an economic mainstay in New Zealand, and surveys indicate that Kiwis know that. Some 94% of New Zealanders think tourism is good for New Zealand, and 82% say they benefit from tourism activity in their local area.

“We recognise differences across regions, and having strong destination management plans in action is key to addressing community concerns and maintaining this high level of support.

“As an industry, we are focused on visitor experience, and we have much to be proud of with the vast majority of Kiwi and international holiday visitors saying we either met or exceeded their expectations. Along with our reputation for high quality, the opportunity to experience our unique Māori culture is a deciding factor for almost 13% of visitors.

“We are committed to substantially increasing participation in Maori culture experiences because we know it is the memories from these experiences that are only available in New Zealand. We are thrilled to have 31 Māori businesses here at TRENZ.”