Previous updates
Updates related to the International Visitor Survey
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Update December 2023
The International Visitor Survey (IVS) recommenced in July 2022 after a break of 2 years due to COVID-19. For this release onward, and for the first time since May 2020, we will include rolling (last 4 quarters) annual data. This includes data for year ending September 2023 (December quarter 2022, and March, June and September quarters 2023) and for September Quarter 2023 (July to September).
We advise caution when using and interpreting IVS quarterly-level results. The total sample size for September quarter 2023 is lower than for June quarter 2023 (June- August) with fewer international visitors during this low season. In addition, quarterly level statistics have a higher margin of error than annual level statistics.
The September 2022 quarter data, as the first release after borders re-opened in July 2022, is an outlier. We advise caution when using September 2022 quarter data in either quarter to quarter or rolling annual data analysis.
More information on data quality, including sample sizes, response rates, and margins of error can be found on the Survey quality page:
Survey quality for the IVS(external link)
Annual and quarterly results can be found on the Tourism Evidence and Insights Centre (TEIC):
Tourism Evidence and Insights Centre(external link)(external link) — TEIC
Update September 2023
The International Visitor Survey (IVS) recommenced in July 2022 after a break of 2 years. This release contains results for Quarter 2 of 2023 (April to June).
We advise caution when using and interpreting IVS quarterly-level results. The total sample size for Q2 2023 is lower than for Q1 2023 (Jan to March), reflecting the typically smaller flow of international visitors during this low season. In addition, quarterly level statistics have a higher margin of error than annual level statistics. More information on data quality, including sample sizes, response rates, and margins of error can be found on the Survey quality page:
Top-line results for Quarter 2 2023 (April to June), and for previous quarters from Quarter 3 2022 (July to September) onward, can be found on the Tourism Evidence and Insights Centre (TEIC):
Update June 2023
The International Visitor Survey (IVS) recommenced in July 2022 after a break of 2 years. This release contains results for Quarter 1 of 2023 (January to March).
We advise caution when using and interpreting IVS quarterly-level results. The total sample size for Q1 2023 is higher than for previous quarters, as visitor numbers increased for the quarter; however, quarterly level statistics have a higher margin of error than annual level statistics. More information on data quality, including sample sizes, response rates, and margins of error can be found on the Survey quality page:
Top-line results for Quarter 1 2023 (January to March) can be found on the Tourism Evidence and Insights Centre (TEIC):
Update March 2023
The International Visitor Survey (IVS) recommenced in July 2022 after a break of 2 years. This release contains results for Quarter 4 of 2022 (October to December).
We advise caution when using and interpreting IVS quarterly-level results. The total sample size for Q4 is higher than for Q3, as visitor numbers increased for the quarter; however, quarterly level statistics have a higher margin of error than annual level statistics. More information on data quality, including sample sizes, response rates, and margins of error can be found on the Survey quality page.
Top-line results for Quarter 4 2022 (October to December) can be found on the Tourism Evidence and Insights Centre (TEIC).
Tourism Evidence and Insights Centre(external link)
Micro data on the IVS data download page
Update December 2022
The International Visitor Survey (IVS) re-commenced in July 2022 after a break of 2 years. This release contains results for Quarter 3 2022 (July to September).
We advise caution when using and interpreting IVS quarterly level results. The smaller number of visitors to New Zealand since the border reopening means that the sample size for Q3 2022 is lower than usual due to the high rates of non-qualifiers in the airports. The quarterly level statistics will also have a higher margin of error than annual level statistics due to the lower sample size. More information on data quality, including sample sizes, response rates and margin of errors can be found on the Survey quality page.
Top-line results for Quarter 3 2022 (July to September) can be found on the Tourism Evidence and Insights Centre (TEIC). Micro data will be published at 11am on 9 December and will be provided on the IVS data download page.
Tourism Evidence and Insights Centre(external link)
Micro data on the IVS data download page
More information on modifications made to the survey questionnaire and methodology, due to COVID-19, can be found on the methodology pages.
International Visitor Survey methodology
Update November 2022
The International Visitor Survey (IVS) re-commenced in July 2022 after a break of 2 years. MBIE will publish data for the September quarter (Q3) on 2 December 2022. Topline information will be published on the Tourism Evidence and Insights Centre (TEIC), and microdata will be published on MBIE’s website. Stats NZ will also publish its December International trade release, which uses IVS data, on the same date.
Tourism Evidence and Insights Centre(external link)
International Visitor Survey data download
Planning for the relaunch of the IVS began in 2021. Modifications were made to the survey questionnaire and methodology, due to changes in travel patterns following the pandemic, and the changing needs of key users of the IVS. The break in the historical series, and the lower number of visitors to New Zealand compared with pre-pandemic levels, will also result in some changes to published outputs for the September quarter from what was previously published.
The lower number of visitors means that the sample size for Q3 2022 is lower than usual due to the high rates of non-qualifiers in the airports. The quarterly level statistics will also have a higher margin of error than annual level statistics due to the lower sample size. Therefore, we advise more caution when using and interpreting quarterly level results, especially for Q3 2022. More information on data quality, including sample sizes, response rates and margin of errors will be published by MBIE on 2 December 2022.
More information is provided in the Methodology Paper
International travel remains a highly dynamic environment due to ongoing changes to global travel regulations, flight schedules, and consumer travel preferences. MBIE and Stats NZ are continuously monitoring this fluid situation and the implications any changes may have on the IVS.
February 2021
As previously signalled, the IVS has been unable to be run at international airports since the border closures near the end of March 2020. This reduced the size of the March 2020 quarter's sample, and led to no survey data being collected since then.
While the majority of international tourism expenditure stopped over this period, there still remains a small amount that is important to measure for key macroeconomic statistics, such as the Balance of Payments and the National Accounts.
Stats NZ and MBIE have collaborated in developing a model of international expenditure using electronic card transaction data and international visitor numbers. This was first published on 03 June 2020 as an experimental model on the Stats NZ website. Since then, we have further developed the model and the results are available on the New Zealand International Trade Dashboard released by Stats NZ. To access the data, click on the 'trade by commodity' tab, select 'services', then 'Travel' form the list of commodities. It includes expenditure by country of origin (United States, Canada, Australia, Japan, China, Germany, Korea, the UK and the Rest of World) and purpose (business, other/personal travel) of visit.
Visitor expenditure in New Zealand using an experimental series(external link) — Stats NZ
New Zealand international trade dashboard(external link) — Stats NZ shinny app page
Please note that only expenditure is modelled. Other variables published as part of the IVS release (such as travel methods, visitor satisfaction, and locations travelled to), will not be available until a sufficient sample can be obtained from interviews in international airports. This means that there will unfortunately be a break in the historical series, but there is no practical way of collecting this information for the near future. We will continue to monitor the situation.
August 2020
As previously signalled, the IVS has been unable to be run at international airports since the border closures near the end of March 2020. This reduced the size of the March 2020 quarter's sample, and has led to no survey data being collected in the June 2020 quarter.
While the majority of international tourism expenditure has stopped over this period, there still remains a small amount that is important to measure for key macroeconomic statistics, such as the Balance of Payments and the National Accounts.
Stats NZ and MBIE have collaborated in developing a model of international expenditure using electronic card transaction data and international visitor numbers. This was first published on 03 June 2020 as an experimental model on the Stats NZ website. Since then, we have further developed the model, it will be updated with June 2020 quarter data and published on 02 September 2020 on the Stats NZ website. It will include expenditure by country of origin (United States, Canada, Australia, Japan, China, Germany, Korea, the UK and the Rest of World) and purpose (business, other/personal travel) of visit.
Visitor expenditure in New Zealand using an experimental series(external link) — Stats NZ
Please note that only expenditure is modelled. Other variables published as part of the IVS release (such as travel methods, visitor satisfaction, and locations travelled to), will not be available until a sufficient sample can be obtained from interviews in international airports. This means that there will unfortunately be a break in the historical series, but there is no practical way of collecting this information for the near future. We will continue to monitor the situation.