New Zealand Visitors Increasing in 2025

New Zealand's tourism industry is well-positioned to set international visitor records in 2025. Over the last few weeks, various government agencies have updated Vista requirements and safety advisories and clarified vaccination recommendations for visitors to the 'Most Beautiful Country.'

New Zealand is an island nation in the Pacific Ocean southwest of Australia. It has two main islands, the North and South Islands, and over 700 smaller islands that offer world-class tourism opportunities.

 New Zealand's tourism upswing began in 2024. For example, 240,200 overseas visitors arrived last October, far surpassing the previous year's totals.

About 46% of these visitors were from Australia, 9% were from the United States, and 5% were from the United Kingdom.

To encourage future visitors, the U.S. Department of State announced, on January 3, 2025, an updated travel advisory for visiting New Zealand.

The State Department's lowest-level advisory advises exercising normal precautions in New Zealand and enrolling in the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program to receive alerts and make locating you in an emergency easier.

While in New Zealand, the U.S. Consulate General in Auckland offers various support services.

Seperately, the UK Health Security Agency confirmed on January 2, 2025, If you are planning to visit a remote area in New Zealand, check with the local tourist authorities for advice.

The New Zealand government recently announced reforms to the Accredited Employer Work Visa program. The changes will be implemented throughout 2025, beginning in January.

From a health perspective, the U.S. CDC says there are no Health Travel Advisories currently in effect when visiting New Zealand. Check the vaccines and medicines list and see a healthcare provider at least a month before your trip to get the necessary medications.

Most mosquito-borne disease cases in New Zealand are acquired overseas. Dengue fever was the most commonly reported disease as the global outbreak reached the entire Pacific Region in 2024.

Dengue vaccines have become available, and new vaccine candidates are nearing approval in 2025.