Auckland tourism operators brace for tougher off-season after strong summer

“International bookings are up year on year and the lead time looking forward is looking really good as well,” Mead said.

“The trajectory for 2026 is growing for us. Obviously this time of the year things are a little bit slower, but we felt we were finally in a position as a business where we can take that next step and make more international relationships,” Belcher said.

Auckland Sea Kayaks offer guided sea kayaking experiences in the Hauraki Gulf, with local and professionally experienced sea kayakers taking customers out on the water.

This was the first time the pair had attended Trenz, with the business’ recent win at the 2025 New Zealand Tourism Awards playing a big part in driving their participation.

Mead and Belcher said the award had given the business credibility not only among its peers, but also within the industry, allowing them to talk about the business beyond just its product.

Bush and Beach owner Ben Thornton echoed the sentiment, describing the 2025-26 season as a “cracker of a summer”.

The business, which deals exclusively with international clientele, specialises in small full-day or half-day group tours from Auckland.

Thornton said the business was in a fortunate position because of its strength in the North American market.

“What we’re finding these days is thanks to Air New Zealand with all of their connectivity, the Americans are flying down here with basically one flight,” Thornton said.

“With what’s happening in the Middle East and maybe in Europe, they see New Zealand as a safe destination, so we’re seeing a few more people heading down this way.”

EcoZip Adventures owner and managing director Gavin Oliver said the business had also experienced a strong summer season, but there had been a “fairly significant” tail-off moving into autumn, which was seconded by Thornton.

“For us that’s two things. We do have a large domestic cohort, and I think Kiwis are being a bit cautious now. Costs are going up, and it’s not just fuel costs, it’s impacting all sorts of things,” Oliver said.

“That may lead to some great deals for consumers over summer because many of us will probably launch special offers and things like that.”

Oliver had just returned from a two-week visit to the United States as part of a group trip with Tataki Auckland Unlimited.

As part of the trip, he got to speak with 499 US travel agents across eight cities, who showed strong demand for Auckland as a safe destination that offers value for money, he said.

Belcher was keen to underline the message and said there had never been a better time for visitors from the US or Australia to visit New Zealand, because of the weak kiwi dollar.

“If we can get more of those people coming in while it’s super affordable for them to come to New Zealand, then that’s one thing we should be talking about.”

While each of the operators had wider concerns about the ongoing fuel crisis and geopolitical impacts on international tourism, both Auckland Sea Kayaks and EcoZip Adventures benefit from carbon-neutral operating models.

However, Bush and Beach operates roughly 15 vehicles, making it more exposed to rising fuel prices.

Thornton was upfront that it only represents 2-3% of the business’ cost base, but said his concern was more for team members and about the rising cost of living, noting that a rising inflation rate will mean higher wage costs.

Belcher said the tourism sector was one of the country’s most resilient, particularly for operators in regions that had to deal with recent severe weather events over the summer.

As a veteran of the industry, Thornton was clear-eyed about dealing with unexpected events.

“You’ve got to factor it in and expect things are going to go wrong. If you get through a whole season without a blip or a sling or an arrow, it’s a win. Otherwise, it’s just business as usual.”

Tom Raynel is a multimedia business journalist for the Herald, covering small business, retail and tourism.