Rotorua tourism 'unrecognisable' from pandemic lows, as record season looms

The geothermal heart of New Zealand is pulsing with new life this summer, with local tourism leaders saying the city is “unrecognisable” from the challenges of the pandemic and the emergency housing crisis.

New data released by RotoruaNZ shows the city is on track for a record-breaking summer season, driven by a significant surge in both domestic and international visitor numbers.

RotoruaNZ chief executive Andrew Wilson said the influx of overseas guests has been a primary catalyst for the city’s economic rebound. International visitor numbers in December jumped eight percent compared with the same period in 2024.

“We were already building quite nicely through 2025 and it’s been a fantastic summer so far,” Wilson said.

“December alone saw approximately 700,000 visitors in town. Of those visitors, up to 70 percent stayed overnight — a 12 percent increase in overnight stays compared with the previous year so we’ve been building nicely.”

The current “buzz” around town marks a stark contrast to 2022, when Rotorua faced reputational damage due to the proliferation of emergency housing and a softening economy.

But Wilson believes those days are firmly in the past.

“We are unrecognisable from those times. Those days are well in the rear-view mirror. Any of those negative perceptions are quickly eliminated because that’s not who we are,” he said.

The bumper summer is being felt across retail and hospitality. Wilson says events like the Tarawera Ultra-Trail this month — which drew more than 5,500 competitors from 80 countries — saw the city’s population swell by more than 20,000 people. 

While domestic tourism has remained relatively flat amid broader economic conditions, the length of stay for international visitors is increasing.

Wilson said new campaigns targeting the Australian and Chinese markets are already showing results, with the average booking length for Australian visitors creeping up. 

Rotorua’s trajectory for 2026, he says, remains “aggressively positive”.