Visitor insights reports
Introduction
These reports inform DOC staff about how things are tracking around the country and where best to focus DOC’s heritage and visitor work.DOC’s visitor insights reports look at where people are going outdoors, how people feel about their experiences, trends in visitor activity and any visitor impacts observed.
They are based off the best information available at the time and so locations and date ranges for different data sets can vary (eg DOC’s activity counters given the data from these are manually downloaded).
Understanding 2022/23 visitor activity
This report looks at visitor observations and behaviours at popular sites, huts, campsites and walking tracks over 2022/23 (1 July 2022 to 30 June 2023).
It builds on previous visitor insight reports, looking at visitor activity in the outdoors and the impacts observed. This slide pack is similar but different from previous visitor insight reports. This is because DOC does not have current activity counter data reporting available.
Understanding 2022/23 visitor activity (PDF, 3,351K)
Summer 2022/23 visitor insights report
This report looks at visitor observations, attitudes and behaviours at popular sites, huts, campsites and walking tracks over summer 2022/23 (1 December 2022 to 28 February 2023).
It builds on previous visitor insight reports, looking at visitor activity in the outdoors and the impacts observed. This summer slide pack is similar but different from previous visitor insight reports. This is because DOC does not have current activity counter data reporting available.
2022/23 visitor insights report (PDF, 6,953K)
2021/22 visitor insights report
The report looks at survey, activity counter and bookings data between 1 July 2021 and 30 June 2022.
The information provides a snapshot of where people went across conservation areas, who is visiting and the quality of their experience. It also provides a regional breakdown of findings.
2021/22 visitor insights report (PDF, 8,352K)
Summer 2021/22 visitor insights report
This report looks at visitor numbers, attitudes and behaviours at popular sites, huts, campsites and walking tracks over summer 2021/22 (1 December 2021 to 28 February 2022). It shows most New Zealanders got outdoors during this time despite a slight drop in numbers which reflects the COVID-19 outbreak, including Omicron.
The top benefit cited by New Zealanders in getting outdoors was ‘taking time out to enjoy the peace and quiet’, suggesting a greater focus on mental and emotional wellbeing. The second and third benefits sought were ‘enjoyment and fun’ and ‘physical exercise and fitness’.
Summer 2021/22 visitor insights report (PDF, 10,573K)
2020/21 visitor insights report
The report looks at bookings and activity counter data between 1 July 2020 to 30 June 2021. It also covers visitor survey results undertaken between November 2020 and May 2021.
2020/21 visitor insights report (PDF, 1,852)
Summer 2020/21 visitor insights report
This report looks at where people went and what impacts were observed over summer 2020/21.
Some data gaps in this report are due to the impacts of COVID-19 on visitor trends and demographics, meaning formulas DOC used previously to calculate numbers are not viable this year.
Summer 2020/21 visitor insights report (PDF, 10.201K)
2019-20 visitor figures
We released visitor data from selected popular public conservation areas for the year ending February 2020, prior to COVID-19 travel restrictions. This data suggests another year of high visitor demand.
Visitation to 9 out of 15 sites had increased by at least 5% over the last 3 years and 9 out of 20 sites had increased by at least 5% when compared with the previous year. Some sites such as the Mangorei Track and Blue Pools have doubled in visits compared to 2016/17.
There was a decrease in visits at a number of places, often due to the impacts of extreme weather. Hooker Valley Track, Milford Sound/Piopiotahi and Franz Josef Glacier/Kā Roimata o Hine Hukatere had partial track or access closures which contributed to decreases in visitation.
2018-19 visitor figures
Summer 2018/19 visitor data, from some of the DOC's top visitor sites, showed a big season despite an overall slowing in international visitor growth. International visitor arrivals to New Zealand had grown by 43 percent in the previous five years. Visits to Otago's Blue Pools were estimated to have risen from 3,400 to 102,000 in the previous three years.
In the year ending January 2019 compared with January 2018, overseas visitor arrivals were up 150,000 (4%) to a total of 3.8 million. The estimated growth rate for international visitors to national parks was a little higher at 9%.
This slowing of visitor growth was reflected at several key conservation areas. Milford Sound (840,000 visits) and Franz Josef (759,000 visits) both saw 3% growth compared with the previous year and Tongariro Alpine Crossing 1% (142,500 visits).
Places that bucked this trend of lower visitor growth compared to the previous year were Rakiura/Stewart Island's Ulva Island increasing by 76% (17,000 visits) and Northland’s Tane Mahuta Walk up by 44% (152,000 visits).