Immigration New Zealand says the timing of Lunar New Year affects figures, and that was earlier this year than last. Photo: RNZ
The number of people applying to visit New Zealand has fallen - despite the announcement of a digital nomad entry to New Zealand.
The government launched the policy for tourists to work remotely on a visitor visa and electronic travel authority (ETA) a fortnight ago.
Ministers said they hoped that welcoming people such as IT professionals to 'stay and play' while they worked remotely, would boost tourist numbers and revenue.
Immigration New Zealand figures showed more people had been looking at the ETA and visitor visa pages on the website - up by 50,000 in the last two weeks, compared to the same period last year.
However, 23,654 fewer people had applied to come or to extend their stay.
Immigration New Zealand said the timing of Lunar New Year affected figures, and that was earlier this year than last.
"It is usual to see lower application numbers throughout the Lunar New Year period, as many people apply for a visitor visa before the Lunar New Year so they can celebrate in New Zealand," INZ visa director Jock Gilray said.
The new visa policy allowed current and future visitors, including people visiting family or tourists, to work remotely for their overseas employer.
INZ's website said that work could include answering emails and phone calls, coding and testing, writing reports, attending online meetings and creating content as a social media influencer.
Immigration minister Erica Stanford pointed to the media coverage abroad given to the announcement, as she was questioned by MPs in select committee.
While some were worried there may be too many visitors taking up the offer and causing accommodation problems seen overseas - some suggested it was unlikely to attract a lot of digital nomads.
The Association for Migration and Investment said it was pragmatic to allow tourists to work remotely while on holiday, but it was not clear whether large numbers would make an unplanned trip as a result of the change.
The figures
Figures for January 27 to February 10, 2024 and 2025.
