Tourism

Sector Overview

Tourism is a key contributor to Taitokerau Northland’s economy, contributing $491.7m towards Northland’s GDP in 2023 and employing 7,192 people in the Northland region. This amounted to 8.8% of Northland Region's total employment in 2023.

Tourism expenditure in the region in 2023 was $1,181m, up 24.6% from 2022. This figure provides an idea of the total dollar amount of spending by domestic and international visitors to the Northland Region. There were 1.7 million guest nights spent in Northland for 2023 (1.4m domestic, 343k international).

Many factors make Taitokerau Northland a good option for tourism investment and business operations; the size and scale of the sector, proximity to Auckland’s largest population base and largest international airport, as well as the base physical resources which make for a highly desirable and competitive visitor destination. The region’s destination positioning is based on coastal and water-based attractions, forests, walks and natured-based activities, Māori cultural experiences and as Aotearoa New Zealand’s northern-most region, the relatively warm subtropical climate (compared to other regions in New Zealand).

Below are a series of links to reports and resources which give an overview of the size and demographics of the industry in Northland. Northland Inc encompasses the Regional Tourism Organisation (RTO) for Northland and we have a team that support the industry and promote the region to domestic and international visitors.

Find out about the work of the RTO