Reflecting strong international visitor growth for all of New Zealand, HDC reports that international visitors have boosted spending in Hastings lately, even as overall spending eases.

Marketview card spending data for October to December 2025, released this month, shows international visitor spending in Hastings increased 18.3% over the three months to December, compared with the same period last year.

Over the same quarter, total card spending in Hastings was down 4.2%, reflecting the broader cost-of-living pressures affecting New Zealand consumers. Over the past four years, Hastings has recorded average annual spending growth of around 2% per year.

All figures are based on electronic card spending.

The latest NZ-wide visitor figures indicate the December 2025 year was the first annual period to exceed 3.5 million overseas visitor arrivals since the March 2020 year, with strong growth from China and Australia in particular.

Of our 3.5 million international visitors in 2025, 1.8 were on holiday and 1.1 were visiting friends and family.

NZ’s international tourism now sits at 90% of pre-Covid levels.