Freedom camping is deemed to occur when someone is staying in a vehicle or tent within 200 metres of a road or parking area, the coast, or a Great Walks track. Such camping is a small but highly visible part of tourism in New Zealand. Freedom campers travel widely, spending money in local communities. Some also contribute by participating in our seasonal workforce and volunteering. In 2019—pre-COVID—international visitors who freedom camped at some point during their trip spent an estimated $645 million here. That year, an estimated 245,000 people freedom camped, 63 percent of whom were international visitors. 