Queenstown is popular with locals and international visitors alike but it can also be an expensive place to visit. General manager of LyLo Queenstown, Hannah Mole, shares some tips on how to make it more affordable.

How to do Queenstown on a budget?

Queenstown Hill is a short walk from town and the trail offers incredible views at the top. Frisbee golf at Queenstown Gardens is a

Tourism continues to be a key pillar of New Zealand’s economy with international visitors spending $16.9 billion in New Zealand in the 12 months to March 2024, returning to similar levels of 2019 ($17.2 billion).

The new Tourism Satellite Account data was released today by Stats NZ confirms tourism is New Zealand’s second largest export earner.

Total tourism expenditure is the

“India is an incredibly important source market for New Zealand tourism and represents a significant opportunity for future international arrivals growth, particularly in the off-peak,” says Angela Blair, Tourism New Zealand General Manager - International.

75% of people in India who are actively considering visiting New Zealand said they would travel here between March and November (off-peak).

In partnership with Chinese platform RED Tourism New Zealand has launched a new activity to attract tourists from China in autumn and winter 2025 to support its year-round and off-peak strategy.

RED (Xiaohongshu) is a Chinese social network and e-commerce platform that attracts more than 300 million monthly active users.

“Growing the number of visitors from China will be integral

New data from the International Visitor Survey shows international tourists contributed $11.7 billion to the New Zealand economy in the 12 months to September 2024. This is a significant increase of 30% or $2.7 billion compared to the previous year.

Spending by international tourists in the off-peak months of March to November increased by 17% compared to the previous year to 7 $4 billion

“Tourism

Tiaki – Care for New Zealand is a guiding principle to encourage everyone to care for Aotearoa New Zealand, and updated videos are now available for the tourism industry to help spread the word.

New Zealand's people, culture and natural environment are what make us unique.

We all have a shared responsibility to care for our place and people and help others do the same.

Tiaki

Tourism New Zealand's recent activities have helped increase the number of Japanese who consider New Zealand their number one holiday destination.

The Great Land of Tabipa New Zealand campaign! took place from April to June. The event featured two renowned Japanese lawyers, Yuri Ueno and Hayato Sano, and focused on the Japanese concept of Tabipa, emphasizing the valuable, emotionally rich

To reduce traffic, Dunedin Airport in New Zealand has introduced a unique policy that sets a three-minute time limit for goodbye hugs in the passenger drop-off area. Sounds interesting, doesn't it? The policy is aimed at maintaining a smooth flow of traffic. The airport may be small, but it serves more than 135,000 residents of New Zealand's South Island.

Drop-off area with a sign that

Kaikōura is one of the most beautiful coastal towns in the world. Located in Aotearoa, New Zealand, this place is famous for its amazing whale watching opportunities. But the news here is that Kaikoura has been officially recognized as an International Dark Sky Sanctuary, making it the 22nd site in the world and the third in New Zealand to achieve this prestigious status.

Recognition awarded

IATA has criticized the New Zealand government for sharply increasing the International Tourism and Conservation Tax (IVL).

The news comes hot on the heels of the government's recent announcement that it would increase tourism fees. visas by 60%.

The IVL is currently NZ$35, but will rise to NZ$100 in October, Travel Weekly reports.

“This "has been a double whammy for

New Zealand's Department of Immigration says travelers who do not apply for a tourist visa at least two months before the peak summer season in December may not receive their visas in time. The deadline is October 15.

Immigration New Zealand (INZ) said it expects to receive more than 260,000 visitor visa applications during this peak processing period.

New Zealand is poised to nearly triple entry fees for international tourists, according to recent news, sparking criticism from the country's vital tourism sector. The government's recently announced new fee structure will see the international, conservation and tourism fees increase from NZ$35 ($21.77) to NZ$100 ($62.20) from 1 October.

Referring to this, the government said the

New Zealand will increase the cost of tourist visas by 60% in October.

The government says it has decided to create a more sustainable immigration system. The cost of a visitor visa will increase from NZ$211 to NZ$341.

“Until now, our immigration system has been largely subsidized by taxpayers. The changes we make shift costs to those who benefit from the system. We will ensure

On June 26, 2024, New Zealand made changes to its visa rules that will affect some foreign workers and their families. The new rules aim to streamline the visa application process and better align it with the country's economic and immigration priorities.

The key change is that those with an Accredited Employer Work Visa (AEWV) at ANZSCO skill levels 4 and 5, without a clear pathway to

New Zealand has announced immediate changes to its work visa program in response to a near-record influx of migrants last year. The decision follows a similar move by neighboring Australia, which has also experienced a significant increase in migration and is aiming to halve its migrant intake over the next two years.

Here are the changes that have been implemented by the New Zealand government:

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Tour operators, booking agents and private owners organizing tours to the Isle of Wight/Whakaari, 50 km from the North Island, New Zealand, 9 December 2019 - the day a volcano exploded on the island, killing 22 people and injuring 25 - were fined approximately US$13 million by a Wellington court on Friday 1 March.

In 2020, 13 individuals and companies were charged with failing to implement

In a major discovery, scientists have discovered a hidden hydrothermal system beneath the waters of Lake Rotorua, a site rich in Maori legends and perched atop a dormant volcanic crater on New Zealand's North Island.

This is the latest discovery not only adds a new dimension to the lake's extensive history, but also represents an important milestone in the understanding of underground

Air New Zealand is set to launch its highly anticipated Skynest this September. Skynest is a six-pod sleeper area available for economy passengers to book four-hour sleep sessions.

The airline will begin installing the sleeper option on its ultra-long-haul flights, starting with flights from New York and Chicago to New Zealand, and plans to expand it to European and Asian flights.

Passengers

Imagine diving deep into a lake up to 80 meters deep and finding crystal clear visibility! Yes, the transparency of this lake is the same as that of distilled water (80 meters). We are talking about Blue Lake, located on the South Island of New Zealand. Researchers were more than surprised to find such bright visibility on Blue Lake, which is now considered the lake with the clearest water in the

Zeeland, Earth's eighth continent, was largely submerged in the sea. Geologists have now carefully mapped its entire two million square miles using data from ocean floor rock samples. This updated map sheds light on Zealand's unique geological history.

About 83 million years ago, the supercontinent Gondwana broke apart due to geological forces, giving rise to the modern continents. This