New Zealand continues to shine as one of Queensland’s most valuable international markets, with strong growth in both visitation and visitor spend reinforcing its importance to the Southern Great Barrier Reef.
More than 508,000 New Zealanders travelled to Queensland in the year ending December 2025 – a 4.5% increase year on year – contributing an impressive $990.4 million in overnight visitor expenditure, up 18.1%.
Importantly, New Zealand remains one of the Capricorn Coast’s top five international source markets, highlighting the ongoing opportunity to grow awareness and visitation to our region.
This week, Queensland’s tourism industry has been actively engaging the Kiwi market through Tourism and Events Queensland’s Queensland is Calling roadshow. The four-city program spans Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch and, for the first time, Dunedin – connecting with key travel trade, airline partners and media.
A delegation of 38 tourism operators and six regional tourism organisations is participating, strengthening relationships and keeping Queensland front of mind for New Zealand travellers planning their next holiday.
Representing the Southern Great Barrier Reef, Eloise Chaffers (Capricorn Enterprise) and Chloe Sydes (Gladstone Area Promotion & Development Ltd) have been on the ground engaging directly with agents, wholesalers and media to showcase the region’s unique reef and coastal experiences.
Monday’s program also featured a targeted RTO luncheon with key Product Managers, attended by TEQ CEO Craig Davidson, alongside leading New Zealand travel partners including House of Travel, Flight Centre and Helloworld Travel. The luncheon provided a valuable opportunity to strengthen partnerships and discuss future opportunities for the region.
Utilising their time in market, Eloise and Chloe also delivered additional sales training and in-store visits with House of Travel, including sessions at head office in Christchurch and with frontline teams in the Hornby and Dunedin stores.
Improved aviation access continues to support this growth, with 11% more airline seats available from New Zealand to Queensland in 2025. New services include Jetstar routes linking Auckland to the Sunshine Coast, Christchurch to Cairns, and Dunedin and Hamilton to the Gold Coast.
Queensland is now one of Australia’s best-connected destinations for Kiwi travellers, with direct services to the Gold Coast from six New Zealand ports. This increased connectivity is also influencing travel behaviour, with more visitors choosing to fly direct into regional gateways and stay longer in one destination – a trend benefiting regions like the Southern Great Barrier Reef.
Looking ahead, demand shows no signs of slowing, with a further 12% increase in airline seat capacity scheduled for 2026.
For the Southern Great Barrier Reef, this continued momentum presents a valuable opportunity to further showcase our accessible, nature-based experiences to a highly engaged and well-connected New Zealand market.
