Visitors are flocking back to the Nelson Tasman region after last winter floods, and tourism is enjoying a busy summer.
Craig Boodee, visitor destination manager for Nelson Regional Development Agency (NRDA), says early projections suggested the region could lose about $18 million in the year following the floods. In mid-July, a survey revealed 37 per cent of people said the flooding would deter them from visiting Nelson Tasman over the following six months.
While July saw 11,000 fewer visitors than the previous year, numbers picked up again in August. By the end of November, total visitor numbers from August to November were almost identical to the previous year.
By December, independent market research showed nine per cent were still reluctant to visit the region in the following six months. The research also revealed 49 per cent of those who saw the campaign said they were now likely to consider travelling to the region, compared with just 24 per cent of those who were unaware of the campaign.
Rather than a downturn, Infometric’s September 2025 quarterly report recorded a 3.1 per cent increase in guest nights, the strongest quarterly growth since 2023, with domestic visitor nights up 4.7 per cent.
Craig says NRDA’s spring campaign, boosted by an extra $50,000 in government funding following the floods, helped shift perceptions of a flood-affected region and attract visitors.
Nelson-Tasman also became Air New Zealand’s ‘hero’ region in November, with grabaseat deals and TV and digital advertising. In December and January, the airline expected to bring 150,000 passengers to the region which Craig says makes it the second busiest destination in the country through summer, after Queenstown.
“It’s good for the region – really positive. Hopefully we get some good, sunny weather because our region is reliant on outdoor activities.”
While summer visitor numbers are good, Craig says most international visitors arrive from early February. Strong forward bookings for February and March are promising though, he says. Visitors spent about $756 million in the region last year and he says the tourism dollar “is everywhere”.
“The business spend goes across everything.”
