W&P tracked the international student contribution to the economy up to 2019 when the Covid pandemic drastically impacted student numbers.
The metrics from 2019 showed international students, including tertiary and secondary students, on average added $44,951 each to Whanganui's economy yearly.
Hoskin said international students also helped create jobs, from students and education staff to hostel workers, cleaners, food service providers and maintenance workers.
Many local education providers were now in the process of bringing in students, or already had them studying in the city.
Outside specific tertiary and secondary institutions, Hoskin said W&P, in partnership with Ngā Tāngata Tiaki o Whanganui, was looking forward to hosting a delegation of Italian students on an upcoming trip to the region.
The 10 students, along with eight adult delegates, would arrive at the end of August and chose to visit Whanganui due to their strong interest in Te Awa Tupua legislation and Tupua Te Kawa, its defining principles.
The student delegation would be part of a digital exchange programme that involved visiting New Zealand for an international workshop of creative and intercultural writing.
New Zealand International Commercial Pilot Academy (NZICPA) chief operating officer Ray Nelson said the academy currently had 50 international students who arrived under the aviation student border exemption.
NZICPA was looking to bring in more for next year, Nelson said.
"The return of international students to the flight academy is extremely important. The return of international students will bring us back to pre-Covid levels and into a growth period again to get us back on track for our goal of 200 student enrolments by 2024."
Whanganui Girls' College director of international students Jane Williams said there were two foreign students at the school this term, one of whom was on a trial period and hoped to return to the school next year for her full senior year.
Williams said she had sent quotes to international schools and had received some interest back.
"It's not flooding in, but it's good while we're getting back into it," she said.
Girls' College would not be taking in too many international students as it was a small school, but Williams hoped to have at least 10-12 international students next year as well as shorter two-week trips by school groups.
She asked for families who were interested in being host families for the students to contact the school.
Cullinane College acting principal Lida Penn-Reina said the school was keen on bringing in international students and had received interest from several schools.
"We are definitely very keen," Penn-Reina said.
"We're definitely ready, happy to have them and a lot of people have wanted to come back into the city, which is really cool."
She said Cullinane would definitely bring in Japanese students and was currently looking at students from Germany as well.
Whanganui High School principal Martin McAllen said the school had seen particular interest from German and Japanese schools, as well as a range of other countries.
He said the school would bring in some international students next year, but it was in the early stages of interest at the moment.
"We are expecting an incremental increase over the next few weeks and months and are confident that numbers will keep building up for international students next year – it is looking positive for 2023."
Hoskin said international students were a benefit to the region and its rangitahi, as they helped develop a better understanding of broader cultures and enabled young people to broaden their perspectives.
