International passenger movements at Queenstown Airport, New Zealand
1998–2025, number of passenger movements
| Year ended December | Number of passenger movements |
|---|---|
| 1998 | 5,078 |
| 1999 | 12,782 |
| 2000 | 16,390 |
| 2001 | 15,790 |
| 2002 | 15,802 |
| 2003 | 19,285 |
| 2004 | 25,558 |
| 2005 | 40,105 |
| 2006 | 52,204 |
| 2007 | 57,972 |
| 2008 | 71,371 |
| 2009 | 89,800 |
| 2010 | 134,531 |
| 2011 | 191,580 |
| 2012 | 219,882 |
| 2013 | 288,193 |
| 2014 | 356,198 |
| 2015 | 451,450 |
| 2016 | 523,500 |
| 2017 | 581,314 |
| 2018 | 630,557 |
| 2019 | 726,925 |
| 2020 | 168,340 |
| 2021 | 38,981 |
| 2022 | 412,014 |
| 2023 | 835,196 |
| 2024 | 919,259 |
| 2025 | 1,015,262 |
Definitions
In arrival series, the closest overseas port is the last port that the passenger's flight visited before it arrived in New Zealand. This may not be the person's port of origin.
In departure series, the closest overseas port is the first port that the passenger's flight visited after it departed New Zealand. This may not be the person's destination.
Data calculation/treatment
From early 2022, some governments, including New Zealand, relaxed these restrictions, allowing more people to cross their borders. From 1 August 2022, New Zealand’s border opened to all visitors and international students.
Since January 2020, governments have imposed international travel restrictions in multiple countries, due to the spread of COVID-19 around the world. In March 2020, the New Zealand government introduced further measures to protect New Zealanders from the COVID-19 virus, effectively limiting travel to New Zealand and travel within New Zealand.
For more information
Limitations of the data
Data is derived from a sample of records and hence may contain sample error.
Inclusions
This data includes all passenger types, regardless of whether they are short-term or long-term movements.
Data provided by
Dataset name
International Travel: Total passenger movements by NZ port and selected closest overseas ports (Annual-Dec) December 2025
Webpage:
http://infoshare.stats.govt.nz/
How to find the data
At URL provided, select 'Tourism > International Travel and Migration - ITM > Total passenger movements by NZ port and selected closest overseas ports (Annual-Dec)'. All variables were selected to produce this dataset.
Import & extraction details
File as imported: International Travel: Total passenger movements by NZ port and selected closest overseas ports (Annual-Dec) December 2025
From the dataset International Travel: Total passenger movements by NZ port and selected closest overseas ports (Annual-Dec) December 2025, this data was extracted:
- Rows: 5-32
- Columns: 2-163
- Provided: 4,536 data points
This data forms the table Travel - Total passenger movements by NZ port and selected closest overseas port Year ended December 1998–2025.
Dataset originally released on:
February 13, 2026
About this dataset
International travel statistics count passengers arriving into and departing from New Zealand. Passengers may be categorised into one of three passenger types: overseas visitors, New Zealand-resident travellers, and permanent and long-term migrants.
Method of collection/Data provider
The New Zealand port data refers to NZ port of disembarkation (the port where the passenger was processed by Customs).