tourism nz economy

Rebounding New Zealand tourism is a rare bright spot for its economy

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'SOLID TOURISM'

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Quick Facts & Figures

Tourism by the numbers.

Key tourism stats for year to March 2022

Total tourism:

• total tourism expenditure was $26.5 billion, an increase of 2.7 percent ($704 million) from the previous year
• tourism generated a direct contribution to GDP of $10 billion, or 3 percent of GDP, an increase of 1.3 percent ($132 million)
• international tourism expenditure increased 30.6 percent ($455 million) to $1.9 billion

Domestic tourism: 

• domestic tourism expenditure increased 1 percent ($249 million) to $24.6 billion
• household tourism expenditure decreased 1.7 percent ($344 million)
• business and government increased 14.2 percent ($593 million)

International tourism: 

• overseas visitor arrivals to New Zealand increased 335.3 percent to 229,370
• international student expenditure (studying less than 12 months) was $184 million, an increase of 135.7 percent ($106 million)
• international tourism’s overall contribution to New Zealand’s total exports of goods and services was 2.4 percent, an increase of 0.4 percentage points
• GST generated from international tourists totalled $209 million, an increase of $72 million

Employment:

• the indirect value added of industries supporting tourism generated an additional $6.6 billion, or 2 percent of GDP
• the number of tourism employees was 125,622 – an increase of 3.2 percent (3,888)
• the number of tourism working proprietors was 19,413 – a decrease of 1.4 percent (267)
• as a share of the total number of people employed in New Zealand, direct tourism employment was 5.2 percent.

Source: Tourism Satellite Account - Year Ended March 2022

Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, tourism made a huge contribution to the New Zealand economy

• Total annual tourism expenditure was $41.9 billion  –  $ 115   million per day.  
• Annual international tourism expenditure was $17.5 billion – $ 48   million per day.  
• Annual domestic tourism expenditure was $24.4 billion – $ 67   million per day.  
• Total annual tourism expenditure had increased by almost $15 billion, or 55%, in the past seven years.  
• Tourism was New Zealand’s biggest export industry, contributing 20.1% of total exports.  
• Tourism generated a direct annual contribution to GDP of $16.4 billion, or 5.5%, and a further indirect contribution of $11.3 billion, another 3.8% of New Zealand’s total GDP.   
• 225,384 people are directly and another 158,802 indirectly employed in tourism in New Zealand –   13.6%   of the total number of people employed in New Zealand.  
• The annual GST paid by tourists is $3.9 billion, including $1.8   billion collected from international visitors.   

Source: Statistics NZ  Tourism Satellite Account year ended March 2019 (issued December 2020).  

Other Data Sources

International Travel , Stats NZ

Monthly international travel updates cover the number and characteristics of overseas visitors, and New Zealand resident travellers (short-term movements) entering or leaving New Zealand.

International Visitor Survey  (IVS), MBIE

Estimated annual spend by market, survey based, released quarterly. Does not include Air New Zealand fares or short stay students. Estimates by market can fluctuate significantly from quarter to quarter.

Monthly Regional Tourism Estimates ( MRTEs), MBIE

Estimated regional spend by domestic and international markets, electronic transactions based, released monthly. Does not include Air New Zealand fares and other spending captured in the  Tourism Satellite Account . Monthly estimates by region can fluctuate; annual estimates have a higher degree of certainty.

Accommodation Data Programme , MBIE

The Accommodation Data Programme (ADP) provides information about short-term accommodation activity at national, regional and lower levels. It estimates the guest nights, occupancy rates and other measures relating to the accommodation industry.

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Tourism data shows determination of sector

New tourism data out today shows the continued importance of tourism to the New Zealand economy as tourism steps up to become our second-biggest export earner, Tourism Minister Matt Doocey says.

“The Tourism Satellite Account shows how strongly tourism rebounded post-pandemic with total tourism expenditure in New Zealand of $37.7b for the year ending March 2023, an increase of $10.7b from the previous year.

“The data shows after the borders fully reopened New Zealand began to see a normalising of tourism flows with a greater mix of international visitors returning in droves along with strong spend increases in hospitality services and visitor experiences.

“The results show how important international connectivity is to New Zealand. This data demonstrated the importance of tourism to main centres and regions, our businesses and our economy as a whole.” 

Other key figures from the Tourism Satellite Account show:

• Overseas visitor expenditure increased by $8.9b to $10.8b 
• Domestic tourism expenditure increased 7.2 per cent to $26.9b
• Total number of people employed in the tourism industry increased by 49.2 per cent to 318 000 people 
• Tourism generated a direct contribution to GDP of $13.3b, or 3.7 per cent of GDP

“These results clearly show the resilience of tourism which is owed to the determination and grit of tourism businesses across New Zealand who got through the pandemic and geared up ready to meet visitors with open arms,” Mr Doocey says.

“Most regions rely on tourism and hospitality, which creates jobs and opportunities for New Zealanders. My message to tourism and hospitality operators around the country is that our government will continue to support them to grow.”

New tourism data shows continued recovery

Published: 05 March 2024

The latest International Visitor Survey (IVS) data shows international tourism is steadily returning to pre-pandemic levels.

On this page

In 2023, international visitor numbers returned to 76% of pre-pandemic levels with 2.96 million international visitors spending $9.9 billion in New Zealand.

This places International Tourism as the country’s second biggest export earner behind milk powder, butter, and cheese.

While visitor numbers have returned to 76% of pre-pandemic levels, visitor spend remains at 71% of pre-pandemic levels, once adjusted for inflation. This is due to a range of factors, including a higher number of visitors staying with friends and family, and a large number of Australian visitors, who tend to spend less.

Visitor spend from October to December 2023 is 43% higher than the same period in 2022, once adjusted for inflation. This shows a steady increase in international tourism spend.

More data from the International Visitor Survey can be found on the Tourism Evidence and Insights Centre on the MBIE website here:

International Visitor Survey (Rolling Annual) (external link)   – Tourism Evidence and Insights Centre

MBIE media contact

Email:   [email protected]

https://www.mbie.govt.nz/about/news/new-tourism-data-shows-continued-recovery/ Please note: This content will change over time and can go out of date.

© Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment

Tourism and the economy

• Post author: Tourism Advisory
• Post published: June 12, 2020
• Post category: Economy / New Zealand​ / Planning / Policy / Research / Tourism

The Tourism Satellite Account (TSA) report presents information on tourism’s contribution to the New Zealand economy in terms of expenditure and employment.

Latest Tourism Satellite Account — Dec 2019

Stats NZ develops and publishes the Tourism Satellite Account (TSA) with funding we provide.

The 2019 TSA report provides a picture of the role tourism plays in New Zealand, with information on the changing levels and impact of tourism activity. Results cover provisional figures for the year ended March 2019, and detailed results for 2018.

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Call for papers: journal of sustainability and resilience.

Tourism 2025 & Beyond

Does New Zealand have too much tourism?

Te Taiao | The environment

Waste management.

A view for measures around solid waste, recycling, waste water and sewerage.

Visitor interaction

A view for measures related to biosecurity, visitor respect for the environment, culture and heritage.

Natural resource use and management - National level

A view for quality measures related to all aspects of the natural environment, such as water, air, land, natural quiet and ecosystem health.

Environment care, protection and restoration

A view for measures of investment into environmental care, protection and restoration by tourism businesses and visitors.

Culture and heritage resource management

A view for measures related to care and protection of places of cultural or historic importance.

Ngā Manuhiri O Te Ao, O Aotearoa Anō Hoki | International and domestic visitors

Safety and security.

A view for measures related to the health, safety and wellbeing of visitors.

Quality of experience

A view for quality measures to better understand the experience of visitors and areas to be improved.

Connection with communities

A view for measures around the authenticity of experiences, the welcome of host communities and the depth of local knowledge shown by the tourism sector.

Te Ōhanga | The economy

Investing for the future.

A view for measures of confidence and future thinking, including investment from the private sector and government.

Employment from tourism

A view for measures of employment in tourism, labour supply and labour productivity.

Economic resilience

A view around measures that indicates the tourism industry’s resilience to change and shocks.

A view about quality (value) and quantity (volume) of international and domestic visitors and visitor preferences.

Tātou o Aotearoa me ō tātou hapori | New Zealanders and our communities

Meaningful employment and business ownership.

A view around the security and quality of roles, career pathways, business ownership and development opportunities.

Host community experience of tourism

A view around community attitudes towards tourism, the cost of living and cultural exchange opportunities.

Community cohesion and identity

A view for measures to support knowing more about the identity of our communities and revitalising our culture.

Amenities and facilities

A view for measures around access to and pressure on amenities and facilities.

Ngā Rohe | Regions

Reliance on tourism.

A view for measures around diversity of the regional economy and regional and seasonal dispersion.

Natural resource use and management - Regional level

A view for a regional aspect of national measures for gas emissions and use of land, water and energy.

Infrastructure investment

A view with measures about investment in waste, water, public transport, rail, road, cycle networks, regional airports, seaports and others.

Governance, structures and strategy

A view about regional leadership, community participation in destination management planning and collaboration with other regions.

Accessibility and connectivity

A view for measures around pricing, capacity, transport and technological connectivity, and accessibility.

The Economy

| economic resilience.

Below you will find one or more charts in individual sections. Each section contains a title followed by a description and the chart. The chart's description contains a button labeled "Show detailed description" . Click on this button to obtain further information.

At the bottom of each section, you will find the "How to read this graph" area with more information about how to interpret the chart and potential caveats around the data used.

If you are having difficulties using this tool, please contact us and we will be happy to help.

Tourism GDP as a proportion of total GDP

This graph shows the proportion of value added by the tourism industry in the national GDP. Direct value added measures products sold directly to tourists. This measure is consistent with how other industries in the economy are measured, enabling comparisons between these industries. Indirect value added measures the purchase of products resold to tourists or products used in producing goods and services sold directly to tourists.

Show detailed description

How to read this graph:

Each bar on this graph represents the proportion of tourism spend in relation to the total national GDP of a specific year.

Each bar on this graph represents the proportion of tourism spend in relation to the total national GDP of a specific year. You can select or unselect series by clicking on the series label in the legend (on the top of the graph) as needed.

Direct tourism value added by industry

Each line or series of this graph represents a sector contributing to tourism industry output. The x-axis shows the years with available data, and the y-axis shows how much a certain industry added value, in millions of New Zealand dollars.

Each line of this graph represents a sector contributing to tourism industry output. The x-axis shows the years with available data, and the y-axis shows how much a certain industry added value, in millions of New Zealand dollars. You can select or unselect series by clicking on the series label in the legend (on the top of the graph) as needed.

Accommodation data by area

The Accommodation Data Programme (ADP) is a new programme providing information about short-term accommodation activity at national, regional, and district/city levels. It estimates the guest nights, occupancy rates and other measures relating to the accommodation industry. The graph below shows multiple measures of accommodation data per area (regional tourism organisation or territorial authority) for a particular accommodation property type and measure.

The Accommodation Data Programme (ADP) is a new programme providing information about short-term accommodation activity at national, regional, and district/city levels. It estimates the guest nights, occupancy rates and other measures relating to the accommodation industry. The graph below shows multiple measures of accommodation data per area (regional tourism organisation or territorial authority) for a particular accommodation property type and measure. The ADP replaces the Accommodation Survey, which was operated by Stats NZ, and ended in November 2019 with the publication of September data. The ADP first launched with June 2020 data, meaning there is a gap in accommodation statistics, with none publically available for the period of December 2019 to May 2020. The ADP also has a different methodology to the Stats NZ survey , so they are not directly comparable . The ADP is funded by MBIE and developed by tourism industry data specialists. For more information, please visit MBIE's website .

Note: Some RTOs and TAs are not available for certain property types due to confidentiality reasons.

Accommodation data by property type

The Accommodation Data Programme (ADP) is a new programme providing information about short-term accommodation activity at national, regional, and district/city levels. It estimates the guest nights, occupancy rates and other measures relating to the accommodation industry. The graph below shows multiple measures of accommodation data by the type of property for a specified area, either nationwide or within an regional tourism organisation (council-level data, and some RTOs, are unavailable due to confidentiality reasons).

The Accommodation Data Programme (ADP) is a new programme providing information about short-term accommodation activity at national, regional, and district/city levels. It estimates the guest nights, occupancy rates and other measures relating to the accommodation industry. The graph below shows multiple measures of accommodation data by the type of property for a specified area, either nationwide or within an regional tourism organisation (council-level data, and some RTOs, are unavailable due to confidentiality reasons). The ADP replaces the Accommodation Survey, which was operated by Stats NZ, and ended in November 2019 with the publication of September data. The ADP first launched with June 2020 data, meaning there is a gap in accommodation statistics, with none publically available for the period of December 2019 to May 2020. The ADP also has a different methodology to the Stats NZ survey , so they are not directly comparable . The ADP is funded by MBIE and developed by tourism industry data specialists. For more information, please visit MBIE's website .

Note: Some RTOs are not available, as well as certain property types in available RTOs, due to confidentiality reasons.

Tourism New Zealand is responsible for promoting New Zealand in key markets as a visitor destination.

How TNZ markets Aotearoa New Zealand

By 100% Pure New Zealand

How we promote       The tourism sector       Tourism's contribution

To ensure tourism gives back more than it takes, we target high quality visitors from key markets. 

Once here, it’s important our visitors have a great experience, so we also guide them on travelling safely and caring for our home, people and culture.

We want to ensure that tourism contributes across four well-being pillars:

• Economy  The tourism economy thrives and grows adding incremental value to the New Zealand economy and its assets.
• Nature  Tourism restores, maintains and nourishes the environment for the intergenerational benefit of New Zealand.
• Culture  The tourism story and experience preserve and enhance our values, culture and heritage; the makeup of our identity.
• Society  People in and part of tourism communities thrive through jobs, shared knowledge, and physical and mental well-being.

How we promote New Zealand

Our activity is carefully focused on several key markets around the world and a select group of consumers within those key markets. This is so we get the maximum yield for the tourism industry.

We work offshore to encourage our target market, the 'Active Considerer' to come now, visit more of our regions and do more during their time here. Our advertising, media and events activity is continually evolving, to stay one step ahead of our competitors.

As well as marketing to consumers, our trade training, marketing and media programme is designed to ensure that those who sell New Zealand have the knowledge and understanding to do so well.

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Who makes up the tourism sector

Minister of Tourism and Hospitality The Minister of Tourism and Hospitality is responsible for supporting and promoting tourism and hospitality. As part of this role, the Minister sets expectations for Tourism New Zealand.

Ministry of Business, Innovation & Employment (MBIE)  MBIE handles tourism policy and regulation. It provides tourism policy advice to the Minister of Tourism and works with other Government departments on key tourism policy issues, tourism research and statistics.

Tourism New Zealand  Tourism New Zealand is the organisation responsible for marketing New Zealand to the world as a tourist destination. A Crown entity funded by the New Zealand Government, it was set up under the New Zealand Tourism Board Act 1991.

Regional tourism organisations (RTOs)  RTOs operate in around 31 regions in New Zealand. They handle promoting their region to international and domestic visitors. Some RTOs are funded in part or in full by their local council, others are funded by annual membership fees.

Tourism industry the tourism industry provide tourism products, experiences and activities for international and domestic visitors.

Tourism sector's contribution to New Zealand

Before COVID-19, tourism was New Zealand's largest export industry and delivered $40.9 billion to the country. Tourism made a significant positive impact on regional economies supporting employment by directly employing 8.4 percent (229,566 people) of the New Zealand workforce.

For the year ended March 2023:

• Tourism was New Zealand second largest export earner
• Total tourism expenditure was 37.7 billion, an increase of 39.6 percent ($10.7 billion) from the previous year
• International tourism expenditure increased 456.9 percent ($8.9 billion) to $10.8 billion and contributed 11.4% to New Zealand’s total exports of goods and services
• GST generated from international tourists totalled $1 billion, an increase of $858 million
• Overseas visitor arrivals to New Zealand increased 858.7 percent to 2,199,073
• Tourism generated a direct contribution to GDP of $13.3 billion, or 3.7 percent of GDP, an increase of 30.9 percent ($3.1 billion)
• The indirect value added of industries supporting tourism generated an additional $8.8 billion, or 2.5 percent of GDP
• 189,432 people were directly employed in tourism, 6.7 percent of the total number of people employed in New Zealand.
• In total, 317,514 people were directly or indirectly employed in tourism, or one in 9 New Zealanders.

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Travel, Tourism & Hospitality

Industry-specific and extensively researched technical data (partially from exclusive partnerships). A paid subscription is required for full access.

• Perceived positive impacts of tourism on the economy and society New Zealand 2023

Perceived positive impacts of tourism on the economy and society in New Zealand as at May 2023

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New Zealand

April 28, 2023 to May 18, 2023

1,431 respondents

18-74 years

weighted by gender, age, and region to be representative of the New Zealand population based on 2018 population estimates

Online survey

Minimum quotas were set to ensure sufficient representation from traditional tourism hotspots. Participants were asked about their perception of the environmental impacts of tourism using a five point scale where 1 = strongly disagree and 5 = strongly agree. Only responses indicating strong disagreement (1) and disagreement (2) are represented in this dataset.

Other statistics on the topic Travel and tourism in New Zealand

• Monthly number of international visitor arrivals to New Zealand 2019-2023
• Perceived negative impacts of tourism on the environment New Zealand 2023
• Annual number of international visitor arrivals to Auckland New Zealand FY 2020-2023
• Number of international visitor arrivals to New Zealand FY 2023, by country of origin

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Statistics on " Travel and tourism in New Zealand "

• Tourism value added as a share of industry GDP New Zealand 2014-2023
• Tourism GDP growth rate New Zealand 2013-2022
• Total tourism expenditure New Zealand 2014-2023, by tourist type
• Total tourism expenditure New Zealand 2022-2023, by product type
• Total number of people employed in the tourism sector New Zealand 2014-2023
• Annual number of international visitor arrivals to New Zealand FY 2014-2023
• Annual growth of international visitor arrivals to New Zealand FY 2014-2023
• Number of international visitor arrivals to New Zealand FY 2023, by region of origin
• Number of international visitor arrivals to New Zealand FY 2023, by port of entry
• Number of international visitor arrivals to New Zealand FY 2023, by age
• Number of international visitor arrivals to New Zealand FY 2023, by purpose of visit
• Annual number of outbound NZ resident travelers New Zealand FY 2014-2023
• Number of inbound NZ resident arrivals New Zealand FY 2023, by country visited
• Leading tourism experience interests among outbound travelers New Zealand 2022
• Leading sport tourism experience interests of outbound travelers New Zealand 2022
• Leading wilderness tourism interests of outbound travelers New Zealand 2022
• Monthly number of international visitor arrivals to Auckland New Zealand 2019-2023
• Number of international visitor arrivals to Auckland, NZ FY 2023, by country origin
• Share of domestic overnight leisure trips New Zealand 2022, by region
• Top attractions visited by domestic tourists Central Auckland New Zealand FY 2022
• Top attractions visited by domestic tourists South Auckland New Zealand FY 2022
• Top attractions visited by domestic tourists North Auckland New Zealand FY 2022
• Views on the impact of international and domestic tourism on New Zealand 2023
• Views on international tourism impact on post-pandemic economic recovery NZ 2023
• Views on the environmental impact of international tourism New Zealand 2023
• Views on the social well-being impact of international tourism New Zealand 2023
• Views on the impact of international tourism on culture, values, and heritage NZ 2023

Other statistics that may interest you Travel and tourism in New Zealand

• Premium Statistic Tourism value added as a share of industry GDP New Zealand 2014-2023
• Premium Statistic Tourism GDP growth rate New Zealand 2013-2022
• Premium Statistic Total tourism expenditure New Zealand 2014-2023, by tourist type
• Premium Statistic Total tourism expenditure New Zealand 2022-2023, by product type
• Premium Statistic Total number of people employed in the tourism sector New Zealand 2014-2023

International tourism

• Premium Statistic Monthly number of international visitor arrivals to New Zealand 2019-2023
• Premium Statistic Annual number of international visitor arrivals to New Zealand FY 2014-2023
• Premium Statistic Annual growth of international visitor arrivals to New Zealand FY 2014-2023
• Premium Statistic Number of international visitor arrivals to New Zealand FY 2023, by region of origin
• Premium Statistic Number of international visitor arrivals to New Zealand FY 2023, by country of origin
• Premium Statistic Number of international visitor arrivals to New Zealand FY 2023, by port of entry
• Premium Statistic Number of international visitor arrivals to New Zealand FY 2023, by age
• Premium Statistic Number of international visitor arrivals to New Zealand FY 2023, by purpose of visit

Outbound tourism

• Premium Statistic Annual number of outbound NZ resident travelers New Zealand FY 2014-2023
• Premium Statistic Number of inbound NZ resident arrivals New Zealand FY 2023, by country visited
• Premium Statistic Leading tourism experience interests among outbound travelers New Zealand 2022
• Premium Statistic Leading sport tourism experience interests of outbound travelers New Zealand 2022
• Premium Statistic Leading wilderness tourism interests of outbound travelers New Zealand 2022

Tourism in Auckland

• Premium Statistic Monthly number of international visitor arrivals to Auckland New Zealand 2019-2023
• Premium Statistic Annual number of international visitor arrivals to Auckland New Zealand FY 2020-2023
• Premium Statistic Number of international visitor arrivals to Auckland, NZ FY 2023, by country origin
• Premium Statistic Share of domestic overnight leisure trips New Zealand 2022, by region
• Premium Statistic Top attractions visited by domestic tourists Central Auckland New Zealand FY 2022
• Premium Statistic Top attractions visited by domestic tourists South Auckland New Zealand FY 2022
• Premium Statistic Top attractions visited by domestic tourists North Auckland New Zealand FY 2022

Views on tourism

• Premium Statistic Views on the impact of international and domestic tourism on New Zealand 2023
• Premium Statistic Views on international tourism impact on post-pandemic economic recovery NZ 2023
• Premium Statistic Perceived positive impacts of tourism on the economy and society New Zealand 2023
• Premium Statistic Views on the environmental impact of international tourism New Zealand 2023
• Premium Statistic Perceived negative impacts of tourism on the environment New Zealand 2023
• Premium Statistic Views on the social well-being impact of international tourism New Zealand 2023
• Premium Statistic Views on the impact of international tourism on culture, values, and heritage NZ 2023

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Economist says 'a lot of growth' needed to reach Government target of doubling export GDP

• Melania Watson

Watch: An economist is warning more growth is needed to meet the Government's GDP target. Credits: Newshub

An economist is warning more growth is needed to get exports back to 30 percent of gross domestic product (GDP). 

It comes as exports have dropped from 30 percent of GDP down to 25 percent. 

Independent economist Cameron Bagrie says the Government's goal of doubling exports is only a possibility if they are "realistic about that target". 

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In 2011, the National Party set a target of taking exports from 30 percent to 40 percent of GDP, however, according to Bagrie, they went "the other way". 

"That's a pretty big goal," he admitted. "Did we get anywhere close? The answer is no." 

"What we're seeing in this post-COVID area, is it's been pretty tough. Tourism is making a comeback, but it's still below where it was pre-COVID," he explained. 

"In the meantime, the economy has grown, but the export sector hasn't kept up, so we've gone from 30 percent down to 25 percent." 

He said doubling exports will "require the equivalent of five dairy sectors". 

Bagrie admitted "a lot of growth" is required to see change. 

However, he said whether or not infrastructure can support the growth is "the million-dollar question". 

"Are we going to need market access? Are we going to need to unlock the likes of India? Are we going to need more free-trade agreements? The answer is yes." 

"If you put aside demand, you've actually got to meet that demand," he stressed. "You actually need to grow and produce the stuff, and get it from A to B." 

"If you have a look at the Port of Tauranga for example, you've got to get it out into international markets." 

The port is New Zealand's international freight gateway for imports and exports. 

"Port of Tauranga has got about two years left of runway left, so we need a lot more infrastructure within ports, within roading. We need to get water policy right; we need to get the financing of these projects right." 

He said while demand is important, it's "a necessary condition" and "not sufficient". 

"We need to be looking a lot more broadly and holistically about how we are going to double exports if we are realistic about that target." 

Air New Zealand's Economy Beds: 5 Things You Need To Know

• Economy Skycouch provides comfort on long flights, cheaper than premium tickets.
• Air New Zealand's widebody planes feature Skycouch seats, making economy class more comfortable.
• Innovating again with SkyNest - bunk beds on Boeing 787-9 for deep sleep during long flights.

Air New Zealand introduced the Economy Skycouch back in 2011. At the time, the innovative product was a first of its kind, although the airline went on to sell the licensing rights to a number of other carriers, including China Airlines and Azul Linhas Aéreas.

While the Economy Skycouch does not provide the same level of luxury as the airline's business class or even premium economy cabins, it can certainly make a long flight in economy class much more comfortable. Given New Zealand's isolated geographical location, the country's flag carrier operates several ultra-long-haul flights from its base at Auckland International Airport (AKL). Routes to the likes of New York (JFK) and Chicago (ORD) can take in excess of 17 hours, so any extra comfort for economy class passengers is always welcome.

A lie-flat bed in economy class

The specifications of the economy skycouch.

With the Economy Skycouch, a row of three economy class seats can be transformed into a lie-flat bed at the push of a button (and with a little bit of assistance from the flight attendants). The bed measures 5 foot 1 inch in length, with a width of 29 inches, which means that while it is not as long as a standard bed, the majority of passengers should be able to get relatively comfortable.

The Economy Skycouch comes with a mattress and a set of pillows and blankets. Apart from that, the soft product remains the same as with standard economy class tickets, in that there are no additional benefits such as priority boarding, upgraded meals, or lounge access that passengers may have with premium economy or business class tickets.

Cheaper than a premium economy ticket

How much does the economy skycouch cost.

While still offering an increased amount of comfort, Air New Zealand's Economy Skycouch is cheaper than business class and premium economy tickets. However, the cost of the Economy Skycouch does not seem to correlate with the length of the flight - for example, on a pair of one-way dummy bookings for June 2024, booking the Economy Skycouch for one passenger costs the following in addition to the standard economy class ticket price:

• Auckland - New York JFK - NZ$1000 ($604)
• Auckland - Singapore - NZ$1100 ($665)

Air New Zealand Skycouch: Is It Worth The Investment?

Suitable for families too, the economy skycouch is available for all.

Showcasing its versatility, the Economy Skycouch can be booked for between one and three passengers. Two children could easily lie down when the Skycouch is made up as a bed, but at just 29 inches wide, it would be a tight squeeze for more than one adult. That said, the more passengers on the Skycouch, the cheaper the cost is per person.

As well as extended seatbelts that can be used by adults when lying down, the Economy Skycouch also comes equipped with an infant seatbelt and an optional infant pod, making it suitable for travelers of all ages.

Available on the airline's Boeing 777-300ERs and 787-9s

These two aircraft make up air new zealand's widebody fleet.

Air New Zealand's Economy Skycouch seats are currently available on the carrier's fleet of Boeing 777-300ERs and 787-9s. Data from ch-aviation shows that the carrier currently operates eight Boeing 777-300ERs and 14 787-9s, with an average age of 12.4 years old and 7.8 years old, respectively. Air New Zealand also has a further eight Dreamliners on order (two 787-9s and six 787-10s). The 777-300ERs feature a total of 60 Economy Skycouch seats, while the 787-9s feature either 42 or 39 Economy Skycouch seats, depending on the cabin configuration.

The Boeing 777-300ER was introduced to the fleet in 2011 and deployed on what was then the airline's flagship Auckland (AKL) - Los Angeles (LAX) - London Heathrow (LHR) route. Although the route was discontinued at the start of the pandemic (it was due to end in October 2020 but this was brought forward to March 2020), the 777-300ERs still form an integral part of Air New Zealand's widebody fleet, operating to destinations such as San Francisco (SFO).

Bunk beds in the sky - coming soon

Pushing the boundaries of innovation.

A new way to sleep in the sky will soon be coming to Air New Zealand - the SkyNest was announced back in 2020 and is set to be launched in September 2024. The SkyNest is made up of six bunk beds in the center of the Boeing 787-9, and passengers will be able to book four-hour slots on the airline's longest flights to the likes of New York JFK and Chicago (although Air New Zealand recently announced it would be suspending flights to Chicago through to October 2024 ).

In an interview with Business Traveler , Kerry Reeves, one of the Air New Zealand team behind the SkyNest, explained the logic behind the four-hour slot bookings. He said,

“Sleep researchers told us that you can get a really solid deep sleep in four hours with two REM cycles. And we did customer testing and asked what they would pay for each hour, and after four hours, the value they saw started to drop off."

According to Business Insider , Air New Zealand's CEO at the time of the Economy Skycouch's introduction, Rob Fyfe, said, "Being a relatively small airline from a small country, innovation is at the heart of our business." The airline still appears to be living by this ethos even now, 13 years later, as showcased with the upcoming introduction of the SkyNest.

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Have you traveled on Air New Zealand's Economy Skycouch? Share your experiences in the comment section.

Air New Zealand

IATA/ICAO Code: NZ/ANZ

Airline Type: Full Service Carrier

Hub(s): Auckland Airport, Christchurch Airport, Wellington Airport

Year Founded: 1965

Alliance: Star Alliance

CEO: Greg Foran

Country: New Zealand

Region: Oceania