Piopiotahi Milford Sound satisfaction remains high as visitor numbers recover
8 September 2026
Piopiotahi Milford Sound satisfaction remains high as visitor numbers recover
Visitor satisfaction at Piopiotahi Milford Sound remains high as visitor numbers return to pre-COVID levels, with the latest independent University of Otago survey finding 96% of visitors were satisfied with their experience.
The survey of more than 900 visitors found:
- 96% of visitors were satisfied with their visit
- 96% said they would recommend Milford Sound to others
- Coach travel was particularly well received – 95% said the journey was a highlight, while 95% said it was well organised
- 7% of boat passengers agreed or strongly agreed that the service on the boats was excellent
- Nature and landscape remained the main reason for visiting
- Visitors’ willingness to recommend Milford Sound to others was reflected by an excellent Net Promoter Score (NPS) of 69. (The way NPS is calculated means scores above 50 are considered excellent.)
- Parking remains an area for improvement, with 74% of visitors saying they found it easy to get a park, down from 84% in 2018 and 2020.
While overall satisfaction remained strong, the survey highlighted some emerging pressures on the visitor experience. Perceptions of crowding and ‘nuisance’ – a measure related to crowding – were higher than in previous surveys, although only 2.6% of respondents experienced what researchers classified as crowding. Around one in five reported some level of nuisance, compared with around one in ten in 2023. The concerns had little impact on overall satisfaction.
“These results are encouraging because they show visitors are continuing to have a positive experience at Piopiotahi Milford Sound as numbers recover,” said MSTL Chief Executive Haylee Preston. “They’re also a credit to the collective efforts of the operators, agencies and organisations that look after this place and welcome visitors every day. It’s particularly pleasing to see the high satisfaction rates among those travelling by coach. At the same time, the results remind us not to be complacent. This is one of New Zealand’s most iconic places, and even small increases in perceptions of crowding matter.”
Milford Sound Tourism Ltd (MSTL) first commissioned the independent survey in 2018 to provide an objective measure of visitor satisfaction and a benchmark to help guide future investment and visitor management decisions by operators and partner agencies.
“We need to keep working together to spread demand beyond the 9.30am to 1.30pm peak and find practical ways to improve parking, transport and visitor flows. There’s limited space to work with, so we need to manage growing visitor numbers carefully while protecting the experience that makes Milford Sound so special,” said Ms Preston.
The survey was undertaken during the 2025/26 summer season and received responses from 907 visitors representing 47 nationalities. It compares results with equivalent surveys conducted in 2018, 2020 and 2023.
View the full survey results and summary infographic here.
Other points of note:
- Half of visitors departed from Queenstown, with 38% departing from Te Anau and just over 10% from other locations.
- Most visitors travelled independently by private car or campervan (57% and 9% respectively), compared with 28% travelling by coach and 3% by aircraft.
- Almost half of visitors stopped several times along the journey to Milford Sound. Of those surveyed, 46% made three or more stops, 33% made one stop, and 21% didn’t stop at all.
- In 2026, visitor numbers to Milford Sound surpassed 2019 levels, marking a recovery from the decline following the COVID-19 border closures.
- Piopiotahi Milford Sound’s rolling annual total visitor numbers are 885,000. 2026 annual visitors are expected to exceed 950,000.