International Visitor Survey data release materials

On this page, we provide a link to the new data visualisations for the March 2023 quarter (Q1) and outline reasons for changes to what we release each quarter. Summaries of previous releases are also provided.

2023 Quarter 1 release

Data visualisations for the quarter can be found on the Tourism Evidence and Insights Centre (TEIC). A printable PDF containing top-line results is also available here.  

International Visitor Survey (IVS)(external link) — TEIC

During 2023, additional data visualisations are being added to the TEIC each quarter. New charts for the March quarter are Accommodation Use and Expenditure by Product.

These additions build on the following results, which were added for the December quarter.

  • activities including places visited
  • perception and consideration of the environment
  • sentiment of Māori cultural experiences
  • satisfaction rating and net promoter score

From the September Quarter 2022, previously released formats have been replaced by new data visualisations. The break in the historical series and the lower number of visitors to New Zealand compared with pre-pandemic levels have resulted in some changes to the published outputs from what was previously published. Only high-level results are published on the TEIC. Micro data can be found on the IVS data download page.

IVS data download

Spend data comparisons with previous years will be made once visitor numbers stabilise, and one year of results are available following the IVS relaunch in July 2022.

The differences between current levels of spending and historic levels are threefold. Sample size by some markets such as China remain small. The composition of purpose of visit has not yet stabilised. Additionally, the survey is designed around an annual dataset, and there are only three quarters worth of data.

Historical data on the IVS data page

2020 and previous releases

International Visitor Survey (IVS) data is presented in the following user-friendly formats.

  • Infographic: provides a visual summary of international visitor expenditure and arrival numbers by key markets.
  • Key data table: provides a summary of international visitor expenditure by key markets and purpose of visit.
  • Pivot tables: provide estimates of international visitor expenditure, and margins of error, by key overseas markets and purpose of visit for every year.

September 2019 data release

International visitor survey infographic year ending September 2019 [PDF, 553 KB]

International visitor survey key data year ending September 2019 [PDF, 194 KB]

International visitor survey pivot table September 2019 [XLSX, 207 KB]

Please exercise caution when using Chinese expenditure estimates this quarter.

For the September 2019 quarter, the sample size for visitors from China was smaller compared to previous quarters (97 respondents against our target of 275). The IVS data is collected through a voluntary survey that visitors are encouraged to complete. The quality of the data relies in getting an appropriate sample size for the segment we're measuring.  We're working with our service provider to investigate the reasons for the low sample size, and how to ensure better response rates in the future.

The IVS data is presented as an annual figure that includes results from the last four quarters. For the September 2018 quarter, spend figures for Chinese visitors were lower than other quarters. Given that the lower-spend September 2018 quarter is no longer included in the annual result for the year ended September 2019, this has led to a corresponding rise in Chinese spend.

Earlier releases

Data summaries from earlier releases are grouped below by year and summary type.

Last updated: 02 June 2023