Barack Obama to head to New Zealand

Former United States President Barack Obama was scheduled to visit New Zealand in March 2018, with an expected arrival date around March 21. According to reports at the time from NZME, the trip was being arranged by Air New Zealand, although the contract had not yet been finalized. A visit by Obama had long been a subject of speculation, and although he was a private citizen, the upcoming trip was expected to attract significant attention.

The former prime minister of New Zealand, Sir John Key, had joined the board of Air New Zealand the previous year. Key and Obama shared a personal friendship, having played golf together in Hawaii in 2014, where both owned holiday homes. The Herald reported that this relationship may have been a deciding factor in bringing Obama to the country. According to United States media reports, Obama was commanding speaking fees of about $400,000 in the U.S.

While Obama had frequently promised to travel to New Zealand, he did not do so during his presidency. Former United States Ambassador Mark Gilbert had previously stated that the visit would eventually happen. The last sitting U.S. president to visit New Zealand was Bill Clinton, who traveled to the country in 1999 for the APEC Summit.