Wānaka Quarterly Visitor Data Snapshot January

The Lake Wānaka Tourism's Quarterly Visitor Data Snapshots aim to provide members with access to topline information about the prior quarter’s performance. These insights have been gathered from the LWT Visitor Insights Dashboard. The Visitor Insights Dashboard provides members and stakeholders access to clear visitor data and RTO led research, supporting informed business decision making.

January - March (Q3 FY24-25) Overview
Between January and March 2025, Wānaka’s visitor expenditure reached $91 million, similar to the same period in 2024. International spending saw a significant 18% increase, while domestic expenditure decreased by 12%. A softening in domestic markets that require air travel, such as Auckland, contributed to this decline, whereas drive markets experienced a less significant reduction.

Commercial accommodation guest nights rose by 2% year-on-year with 331,400 guest nights hosted in the region. Commerical accommodation recorded an average occupancy rate of 73% in January - the highest recorded since COVID-19 - followed by 64% in February and 57% in March.

Wānaka hosted nearly 1.3 million cumulative visitor days, a 4% increase on the same period last year. The domestic market contributed the majority (60%) of cumulative visitor days.

The average Net Promoter Score (NPS) over the past three months has slightly decreased to 69. The 12 month rolling NPS average remains strong at 73. However, the NPS will be monitored closely over the coming quarters to determine whether this recent dip signals the beginning of a sustained trend.

Note: expenditure figures aren't inflation-adjusted.

VISITOR EXPERIENCE
The Visitor Experience Survey is a survey of visitors to the Queenstown Lakes district. The results are shared quarterly and outline a variety of experience aspects including; visitor motivations, connection with people and place, activities/attractions, net promoter score, and overall visitor experience satisfaction. The Visitor Experience Survey is Destination Queenstown and Lake Wānaka Tourism's collaborative research initiative facilitated by tourism research experts Angus & Associates.

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Insights Disclaimer: Any information supplied is intended to inform about general historic destination performance based on information available at the time. It is not intended to be a substitute for further professional advice or more rigorous or specific analysis. It may not apply to an organisation’s specific situation and is not intended to be used or viewed in isolation. DQ and LWT assumes no liability for any actions taken based on supplied information or insights. The data sets, insights, and related resources provided are confidential to Lake Wānaka Tourism and its membership base only and are not for publication or dissemination.