Stats NZ released data late last week that showed overseas visitor arrivals hit 3.51 million in the year ended December 2025, up 6% from the previous year.
The agency said it was the first annual period to exceed 3.5 million since the year ended March 2020, when Covid-19 hit.
However, total annual visitor arrivals were 90% of 2019 levels, before the pandemic began globally.
Destination Queenstown and Lake Wānaka Tourism chief executive Mat Woods said Queenstown was ahead of other areas.
"The picture is very different in the Queenstown Lakes, with the district already fully recovered and has moved beyond pre-Covid numbers, reinforcing our role as a key driver of New Zealand’s tourism recovery.
"More than half of all international holiday visitors to New Zealand include Queenstown Lakes in their itinerary, and international passenger movements through Queenstown Airport exceeded one million for the first time in 2025.
"While international holiday arrivals grew by an encouraging 6% nationally last year, Queenstown Lakes outpaced that trend with 11% growth."
Summer numbers had been good and investment confidence was climbing.
In Papatowai, Peake’s Kitchen and the Country Store owner Nicole Peake said she had definitely noticed more people around.
"The weather hasn’t been the greatest over the summer, which has affected things, but people are still enjoying the rainforest and the waterfalls and things like that," she said.
Weekends especially had been very busy.
"There are still a lot of international travellers and people in their campervans coming through during the week. It’s definitely natural New Zealand at its finest."
Stewart Island Backpackers owner Aaron Joy said Covid led to an influx of New Zealand travellers in 2021 as overseas travel was banned.
He said the tourist figures for January showed visitors to the island were up by nearly 20% from last January.
He had noticed this summer there were not as many New Zealand families travelling.
"It’s the cost of everything. And those that are staying with us, for instance, a lot more are cooking. It’s cheaper cooking than going out to the restaurants.
"That’s quite a common happening right throughout New Zealand, really, where people are staying now, where they’ve got cooking facilities."
International visitor numbers were rising and they were from all corners of the globe.
