{"id":457470,"date":"2026-06-02T18:05:11","date_gmt":"2026-06-02T18:05:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/457470\/"},"modified":"2026-06-02T18:05:11","modified_gmt":"2026-06-02T18:05:11","slug":"nzs-luxury-tourism-boom-high-end-travel-spend-set-to-double-by-2033","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/457470\/","title":{"rendered":"NZ\u2019s luxury tourism boom: High-end travel spend set to double by 2033"},"content":{"rendered":"

In Auckland, five-star and luxury hotels recorded a 3% increase in revenue per available room in the year to June 2025, while lower hotel categories experienced average declines of more than 10%. <\/p>\n

Queenstown remained the country\u2019s standout premium market over the peak summer season, with hotels recording revenue per available room of about $370 a night across December and January. <\/p>\n

On New Year\u2019s Eve, occupancy hit 91%, with average daily room rates up 24% on the year before \u2013 reaching $733.<\/p>\n

Tourism New Zealand chief executive Rene de Monchy said New Zealand accounted for only 0.3% of global travel volume, but about 0.8% of global travel spending. <\/p>\n

\u201cThat tells us we definitely are a more premium destination,\u201d De Monchy said. <\/p>\n

\u201cWe have amazing accommodation offerings around the country, which keep getting better, and there\u2019s huge growth potential there.\u201d <\/p>\n

Luxury travel and hospitality researcher Anita Manfreda said New Zealand was following a broader global shift toward experience-led luxury travel. <\/p>\n

\u201cLuxury travellers tend to stay longer, and contribute beyond simple travel and accommodation \u2013 into experiences,\u201d she said. <\/p>\n

Manfreda said travellers were increasingly prioritising wellness and personalised experiences, over more traditional forms of luxury tourism. <\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re now also seeing a huge increase in interest in food and wine \u2013 so the market\u2019s now a bit of a combination of all of these.\u201d <\/p>\n

She said New Zealand\u2019s luxury offering differed from destinations such as Europe and Australia because it was centred around smaller-scale experiences, including boutique lodges<\/a> and nature-based tourism. <\/p>\n

\u201cWe can bring a unique sense of exclusivity for travellers because of where we\u2019re placed in the world.\u201d <\/p>\n

Tourism operators say affluent international travellers are continuing to spend heavily despite wider geopolitical and economic uncertainty. <\/p>\n

Travel agency Luxury Escapes\u2019 chief executive Adam Schwab said bookings to New Zealand were up nearly 40% year-on-year, driven largely by Australian travellers. <\/p>\n

\"LuxuryLuxury tourists are increasingly favouring experience-based travel.<\/p>\n

The company had also recorded around a 20% increase in bookings for experiences, particularly winery tours and spa experiences. <\/p>\n

\u201cThere is absolutely a shift towards luxury experiences,\u201d Schwab said. <\/p>\n

He said instability in parts of the world had pushed some travellers toward destinations viewed as safer and offering stronger value. <\/p>\n

\u201cEven high-end luxury travellers want to make sure their dollar goes further,\u201d he said. <\/p>\n

\u201cNew Zealand\u2019s luxury accommodation ticks every box when it comes to bang for buck.\u201d <\/p>\n

He said Queenstown remained especially strong. <\/p>\n

\u201cAny supply we can get sells straight away.\u201d <\/p>\n

Tourism New Zealand data also suggests international visitors are increasingly spending on premium experiences once they arrive. <\/p>\n

Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment visitor survey data<\/a> for the year to December 2025 showed 12% of holiday visitors stayed in luxury accommodation, 27% visited high-end restaurants and 5% used helicopters as transport during their trips. <\/p>\n

Tourism New Zealand also tracks \u201chigh spend\u201d travellers through its \u201cActive Considerer\u201d research programme, which measures intended visitor behaviour in key overseas markets. <\/p>\n

In the United States \u2013 one of New Zealand\u2019s fastest\u2013growing tourism markets \u2013 about 30% of potential travellers surveyed in 2025 intended to spend at least US$4800 ($8100) per person during their visit. <\/p>\n

De Monchy said the growth reflected a wider post-pandemic shift in consumer behaviour. <\/p>\n

\u201cA lot of people are valuing experiences over things,\u201d he said. <\/p>\n

\u201cA luxury traveller may stay in a luxury lodge, but they may also go bungy jumping or jet boating.\u201d <\/p>\n

Luxury travel specialist Southern Crossings is also seeing strong demand from high-end travellers. <\/p>\n

Director Sarah Farag said the company had traditionally worked to a \u201choneymoon-plus\u201d price point, but has started to move away from that description. <\/p>\n

She said honeymooning couples were consistently spending the equivalent of a central Auckland house deposit on New Zealand holidays. <\/p>\n

While the country\u2019s luxury accommodation offering had expanded significantly, Farag said experiences remained the key drawcard. <\/p>\n

\u201cClients can be extreme with their activities \u2013 like ice caving on glaciers \u2013 or sometimes they\u2019re simply happy with nice photo opportunities,\u201d she said. <\/p>\n

Operators say demand is also shifting toward more personalised and lower-density tourism experiences. <\/p>\n

\"GibbstonGibbston Valley says guests are willing to pay for the experience.<\/p>\n

Premium wine tourism destination Gibbston Valley<\/a>, in Central Otago, says it\u2019s focused on shaping the luxury visitor experience. <\/p>\n

Head of hospitality Aisling Swirtz said luxury travellers were increasingly seeking \u201cauthentic, local experiences\u201d focused on nature, wellness and exclusivity. <\/p>\n

\u201cThey want to feel, not just see,\u201d Swirtz said. <\/p>\n

She said many travellers were seeking private or behind-the-scenes experiences and were gravitating toward smaller, less crowded excursions. <\/p>\n

\u201cThe US market has seen strong growth year-on-year, with visitors willing to spend heavily on premium experiences. <\/p>\n

\u201cUS travellers spend the most per day, and are willing to pay for exclusive experiences, with no price resistance,\u201d she said. <\/p>\n

The strength of the luxury sector comes as our wider tourism industry continues to recover following the pandemic \u2013 still at around 92% of pre-Covid levels. <\/p>\n

Kate Rickard is an Auckland-based Newstalk ZB multimedia journalist covering tourism, immigration, and general news. She studied journalism at AUT before joining ZB in April 2025.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"In Auckland, five-star and luxury hotels recorded a 3% increase in revenue per available room in the year…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":457471,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[19831,16424,3595,31861,34521,8609,9180,1437,55097,232438,1019,206,111,43,139,69,3272,8998,8780,1551,5258,14040,61,10097,21419,274,11418,80],"class_list":["post-457470","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-new-zealand","tag-19831","tag-boom","tag-by","tag-carving","tag-destination","tag-double","tag-experiences","tag-global","tag-highend","tag-highervalue","tag-international","tag-luxury","tag-new-zealand","tag-news","tag-newzealand","tag-nz","tag-nzs","tag-position","tag-premium","tag-set","tag-shift","tag-spend","tag-to","tag-tourism","tag-towards","tag-travel","tag-trends","tag-zealand"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/457470","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=457470"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/457470\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/457471"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=457470"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=457470"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=457470"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}