New Zealand Eases UAE Travel Restrictions, Providing a Welcome Boost to the Recovering Tourism Sector

New Zealand has lifted its official guidance warning against non-essential travel to the UAE, delivering a significant boost to the tourism sector as it seeks to rebound from the challenges of the Iran war. The New Zealand government lowered the travel advisory from Level 3, which advises against non-essential travel, to Level 2, urging people to exercise increased caution. New Zealand operates a four-scale travel system, with 1 advising normal safety precautions and 4 urging people not to travel.

The advice, updated on the government's Safe Travel website, was welcomed by Richard Kay, New Zealand's ambassador to the UAE. “New Zealanders can once again travel to or transit through the UAE,” the envoy said on X. “Travellers should remain vigilant and continue to follow local advice at all times, as security conditions can change quickly.”

Emirates operates flights to New Zealand's harbour city of Auckland and to Christchurch, the largest city on the country's South Island. A Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (Cepa) between the UAE and New Zealand came into effect last August, after being signed in January 2025. It is expected to boost annual bilateral trade to more than $5 billion by 2032, up from an average yearly $1.5 billion recorded from 2019 to 2023.

The UAE is working with other countries to secure removal from their travel advisory lists as tourism figures show signs of recovery. Australia advises people to reconsider their need to travel due to the security situation, having loosened its advisory in June. The UK removed the UAE from its list of countries advised against travelling to in June, though it states the situation remains unpredictable. The US Department of State places its travel advice at Level 3, while India does not offer guidance regarding travel to the Emirates.

The number of international overnight visitors to Dubai reached 869,000 last month, the highest figure since February. Hotel occupancy reached 66 per cent in August in the emirate compared with 36 per cent in March, the first full month of the Iran war. Issam Kazim, chief executive of the Dubai Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing, said lifting the warnings could have a knock-on effect for visitor numbers.

Siddharth Sudhakar, general manager for the Middle East and North Africa at Trip.com, noted that demand for travel to the UAE remains very strong. Dave Goodger, managing director for European, Middle East and North Africa at Tourism Economics, added that consumers are treating travel as essential and prioritising experiences over things, supporting the region's long-term momentum.