The Destination Perceptions Survey monitors how travellers in New Zealand and Australia perceive regional travel destinations. It helps profile current and potential visitors and benchmark destination and brand perceptions against other New Zealand regions.
Destination Queenstown and Lake Wānaka Tourism partner with industry researcher Angus & Associates to conduct the primary research. This edition covers Queenstown for the year ending June 2026, based on 3,588 New Zealand and 3,629 Australian respondents.
Queenstown is close to universally known at home. 98% of New Zealand travellers have heard of it and 87% have either visited or know what there is to do there, seven points above the regional benchmark. Among those aware of the destination, 60% rate it as highly appealing. Of New Zealanders who are aware of Queenstown and intend to travel domestically in the next 12 months, 40% say they will definitely or probably visit.
The funnel tracks how New Zealand travellers move from knowing about Queenstown to intending to visit it, across four stages. Every figure is a share of the total New Zealand sample, so each stage is a subset of the one above it. It is a simplification of a messier reality, since price, access, life stage and competing destinations all shape a decision, but it gives a consistent way to watch destination health over time.
Queenstown is well established in Australia without being universal. 90% of Australian travellers have heard of it and 62% have visited or know what there is to do there, twenty points clear of the regional benchmark. Appeal is the strongest part of the picture: 57% of those aware of the destination rate it highly appealing, and 77% of Australians who are aware of Queenstown and intend to travel to New Zealand in the next 12 months say they will definitely or probably visit.
The funnel tracks how Australian travellers move from knowing about Queenstown to intending to visit it, across four stages. Every figure is a share of the total Australian sample, so each stage is a subset of the one above it. It is a simplification of a messier reality, since price, access, life stage and competing destinations all shape a decision, but it gives a consistent way to watch destination health over time.
Market Perceptions is an online survey run each month with New Zealand and Australian travellers, recruited through Dynata's consumer panel. Around 300 New Zealanders and 300 Australians take part each month, giving a total of at least 7,200 respondents a year. To qualify, respondents must be 18 or older and have travelled overnight in the past 12 months. Quotas are set on region of residence, gender and age to reflect census data, so the sample stays representative and consistent enough to track change over time.
This report covers the year ending June 2026, using data collected between 1 July 2025 and 30 June 2026. The regional benchmark averages the other destinations taking part in the Destination Perceptions Survey, including Auckland, Rotorua, Central Otago and Wānaka.