Tourism New Zealand marks strong 2025 in India; focus ahead on sustaining growth, backed by campaigns
Gregg Wafelbakker, Regional Director _ Asia, Tourism New Zealand
Riding on India’s position as one of its fastest-growing source markets, Tourism New Zealand brought down curtains on 2025 with a sharp focus on conversion, connectivity and seasonality. From its ‘Beyond the Filter’ brand campaign to 14 new trade partnerships, MoUs exploring direct air links, and targeted off-peak promotions, the destination pivoted strategy into outcomes, thereby building year-round demand, deeper engagement and stronger India–New Zealand travel flows. Gregg Wafelbakker, Regional Director for Asia at Tourism New Zealand shares the details with T3.
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T3: How has been 2025 for Tourism New Zealand in India? What strategies did Tourism New Zealand pursue in the Indian market in 2025?
Gregg: With India continuing to be one of New Zealand’s fastest-growing visitor markets, our strategy last year centred on converting this demand into sustained, year-round travel. 2025 has thus been a year of strong momentum for Tourism New Zealand in the Indian market, marked by a clear focus on accessibility, seasonality, strengthened trade partnerships, and deepening cultural and culinary discovery.
New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon’s first visit to India earlier in 2025 focused on deepening the bilateral trade, enhancing sectoral presence, and unlocking new economic ties, underscoring India as an important partner for the destination. Additionally, a key highlight of 2025 was the signing of an MoU between Air New Zealand and Air India, aimed at exploring the feasibility of direct air connectivity between the two countries — a development positioned to be a long-term game changer for Indian travellers.
Last year also marked a significant step in our brand storytelling with the rollout of our ‘Beyond the Filter’campaign. It helped us deepen emotional resonance with Indian travellers by spotlighting New Zealand’s raw, unfiltered beauty and emphasising mindful, meaningful travel over curated, postcard-style experiences. It enabled us to move beyond traditional destination marketing and connect more authentically with evolving traveller motivations — a shift that has strongly supported our broader efforts around seasonality and dispersal.
We also prioritised seasonal marketing campaigns, developed in collaboration with partners such as Auckland Airport and Air New Zealand, to spotlight New Zealand as a premier year-round destination. These campaigns strategically leverage the strong alignment between Indian holiday breaks and New Zealand’s off-peak seasons.
T3: Any notable collaborations with travel trade during 2025?
Gregg: On the trade front, the organisation deepened its on-ground presence by formalising partnerships with 14 major Indian travel trade agencies, ensuring that rising interest translated into actual bookings and itineraries across both islands. The year also saw a continued emphasis on promoting New Zealand’s diverse natural, cultural, and adventure offerings — experiences that strongly resonate with Indian travellers seeking immersive, meaningful holidays. The TNZ India Business Event has delivered exceptional results so far, significantly surpassing initial projections. The strategic outcome has enhanced brand visibility and strengthened trade relationships, setting a benchmark for future events. The conversion results so far validates the effectiveness of TNZ’s strategic initiatives and provide a compelling case for scaling similar efforts in upcoming phases
T3: What has been the percentage growth in Indian visitor numbers in recent years?
Gregg: Aotearoa New Zealand welcomed 81,000 visitors from India in the year ending October 2025, accounting for 2.3% of total arrivals. Of these, 31% travelled for holidays, marking an impressive 11.8% growth in holiday visitors compared to the previous year.
Indian visitors provided a notable economic boost, contributing NZD 256 million to New Zealand’s economy in the 12 months to September 2025.
During their stay, most Indian holidaymakers explored both islands, with 82% visiting the North Island and 77% the South Island, and 59% experiencing both. With 46% visiting four or more regions, their travel patterns showed a strong appetite for discovery. Nature-based experiences—such as walks, hikes, lakes, mountains, and geothermal attractions—continued to be the leading drawcard. Over one-quarter of Indian holiday travellers visited a place of Māori cultural significance, highlighting interest in New Zealand’s distinctive cultural heritage.
T3: What is Tourism New Zealand’s outlook for the Indian market in 2026? What new initiatives or campaigns are being planned for the Indian market in 2026?
Gregg: Backed by Indian tourists’ growing demand for nature-led, outdoor experiences such as walks, hikes, lakes, mountains, and geothermal attractions, we enter 2026 with a strong momentum on our new global campaign positioning New Zealand as a world-class destination for nature-first experiences, where one can reach their 100% best through challenge and a sense of connection. The campaign will spotlight the country’s bookable running events, signature walks, multi-day hikes, and cycling trails – growing New Zealand’s appeal as a year-round destination and deepening India’s connection with the country’s great outdoors in 2026.
New Zealand also recently became the first-ever destination in Oceania to join the world-renowned MICHELIN Guide, growing into a global culinary hotspot worthy of a special journey. This fantastic recognition puts our exceptional hospitality on the world stage, paving the way for a well-deserved, internationally recognized benchmark of quality of excellence. New Zealand’s inclusion in the guide is expected to boost international tourism, as we invite the world and our Indian travellers to experience the spirit of manaakitanga (hospitality and generosity) through our fresh produce, culinary traditions, and contemporary innovations. The global recognition brought by Michelin’s entry has added a powerful new dimension to our brand narrative in India.
With our comprehensive approach of a unified push across aviation, trade, cultural storytelling, destination marketing, and working closely with our industry groups, we have significantly strengthened the India–New Zealand travel corridor, setting a promising trajectory for 2026.
