New Zealand received 256,600 overseas visitor arrivals in July 2026, up 20,100 from July 2025, Stats NZ said in a release on 14 September. The monthly total was a record for a July and equalled 100.4% of the pre-pandemic July 2019 level. Australia accounted for 53% of arrivals and China 11%. The 134,900 arrivals from Australia were the highest for a July month from that country. These figures are based on short-term border movements and do not measure long-term migration.

New Zealand-resident traveller arrivals were 317,000 in July, down 5,000 from July 2025 and at 93% of the July 2019 level. In the July year, overseas visitor arrivals reached 3.69 million, an increase of 305,000; arrivals from China rose by 76,000 to 321,000. The monthly and annual totals describe different time windows. Travel statistics help monitor visitor-market recovery but do not measure spending per visitor or tourism revenue by themselves. Border crossings may also count more than one movement by the same individual.