Source: New Zealand Government
A significant boost in the number of people booking bednights along the country’s Great Walks is a good sign for conservation tourism and local businesses, Conservation Minister Tama Potaka says.
Opening day bookings for each of the Great Walks were up by over 10,000 bednights compared to last year, totalling more than 140,000 bednights and bringing in more than $9 million to the Department of Conservation – Te Papa Atawhai, says Mr Potaka.
“Booking system upgrades – including a new online lobby – successfully processed a peak of nearly 12,000 people waiting to book the Milford when it opened on 28 May in an hour.
“People across the world are dreaming of walking our beautiful whenua. Great Walks bookings are our golden tickets. You don’t need rivers of chocolate when you’ve got the Routeburn Track.
“Even this time of year, places like Abel Tasman Great Walk have space to escape under the stars for Matariki mā Puanga – take some hot Milo,” says Mr Potaka.
In 2024 nearly three-quarters of international visitors said they did a hike, walk or tramp while in Aotearoa New Zealand, and around half visited a National Park. Conservation-related tourism is worth around $3.4 billion a year.
“This is great for local businesses, local jobs and incomes. Before and after their walk they stay, eat and adventure locally, injecting money into local economies.
“The Government is backing sustainable conservation tourism that supports local economies. That’s why we will continue to invest funds from the International Visitor Levy into protecting and enhancing our biodiversity such as in Rakiura National Park.”
Great Walks opening day bookings
All Great Walks increased their bednights booked, except for Heaphy and Whanganui River Journey; see table – this is a snapshot of bookings made on the opening days.
| 2025/26 | Total Bednights | NZ bednights | International bednights | 2024/25 | % change |
| Abel Tasman | 28,618 | 24,301 | 4,317 | 24,943 | +15 |
| Heaphy | 15,297 | 14,185 | 1,112 | 16,367 | -7 |
| Kepler | 23,094 | 16,758 | 6,336 | 21,603 | +7 |
| Paparoa | 11,205 | 10,636 | 569 | 9,924 | +13 |
| Rakiura | 5,369 | 4,810 | 559 | 5,117 | +5 |
| Routeburn | 20,910 | 14,236 | 6,674 | 19,561 | +7 |
| Whanganui | 6,465 | 5,869 | 6,505 | 6505 | -1 |
| Milford | 21,903 | 13,356 | 8,537 | 21,387 | +2 |
| Waikaremoana | 7,569 | 7,053 | 516 | 6,429 | +18 |
| TOTAL | 140,430 | 111,204 | 29,226 | 131,836 | +7 |
DOC bookable huts and campgrounds
Top 10 most popular huts
- Pinnacles hut (Coromandel Forest Park)
- Mueller hut (Aoraki Mt Cook National Park)
- Waitawheta hut (Kaimai Mamaku Conservation Park)
- Woolshed Creek hut (Mount Somers, Canterbury)
- Kōhanga Atawhai – Manson Nicholls hut (Lewis Pass)
- McKellar hut (Greenstone, Otago)
- Aspiring hut (Mount Aspiring)
- Welcome Flat hut (Westland Tai Poutini National Park)
- Greenstone hut (Otago)
- Angelus hut (Nelson Lakes National Park)
Top 10 most popular campgrounds
- Tōtaranui campground (Golden Bay)
- Waikawau Bay campsite (Northern Coromandel)
- Otamure Bay (Whananaki) campsite (Northland)
- Momorangi Bay campsite (Marlborough Sounds)
- Puriri Bay campsite (Northland)
- Urupukapuka Bay campsite (Northland)
- Anaura Bay campsite (East Coast Tairawhiti)
- Waikahoa Bay campsite (Whangarei)
- White Horse Hill campsite (Aoraki Mt Cook)
- Uretiti Beach campsite (Whangarei)
