Visitor arrivals
Monthly visitor arrivals
Short-term overseas visitor arrivals to New Zealand numbered 145,800 in June 2010, up 8 percent from 135,200 in June 2009. The 2010 figure was the second-highest for a June month, behind 2005 (157,500) when numbers were boosted by the British and Irish Lions rugby tour.
The underlying trend, derived from the seasonally adjusted series, indicates that visitor arrivals have declined 2 percent since a peak in November 2009. Before this, the trend had been increasing from a low in November 2008, which was during the global economic downturn.
The estimated average number of visitors in New Zealand per day was 91,400 in June 2010, up 2 percent from 89,800 in June 2009. The number of visitors in the country is typically lowest in June. In comparison, the peak month of January 2010 saw an average of 211,500 visitors in New Zealand per day.
Monthly visitors by source country
In June 2010, visitor arrivals from Australia numbered 76,200, up 5,300 (7 percent) from June 2009. This adds to a 9 percent increase between June 2008 and June 2009. The latest increase from Australia included 3,000 more holiday visitors, 1,500 more arrivals to visit friends and relatives, and 700 more business visitors.
Combined visitor arrivals from China, Japan, and Korea were up 6,900 (86 percent) in June 2010. The H1N1 pandemic affected numbers travelling from those countries in June 2009. The number of visitors from China in June 2010 (5,500) was similar to the average for the June months between 2006 and 2008, prior to the H1N1 outbreak. However, arrivals from Japan and Korea were still well below June 2008 levels.
There were fewer visitors from the United Kingdom (down 1,100 or 13 percent) and the United States (down 1,000 or 8 percent) in June 2010. Visitor arrivals from these countries were the lowest for a June month since 2000 and 1999, respectively.
Note:
Provisional international travel statistics, including weekly and four-weekly visitor arrival data, are available on the Statistics NZ website. This data is updated each week with the most recently available information on visitor arrivals from 10 major source countries.
Annual visitor arrivals
Annual visitor arrivals to New Zealand numbered 2.501 million in the June 2010 year, the first time the 2.5 million mark has been surpassed. This milestone was almost reached in 2008, but the global economic downturn contributed to a decline in visitor numbers after a peak of 2.497 million in the March 2008 year.
The 2 million visitor mark was reached in the November 2002 year, just 10 years after the 1 million milestone (in the April 1992 year).
Almost half of all visitors in the June 2010 year were arriving for a holiday (1.206 million). Another 786,500 arrived to visit friends and relatives, and 245,300 arrived for business.
Annual visitors by source country
Despite the similarity in overall visitor numbers between the June 2010 year (2.501 million) and the March 2008 year (2.497 million), there were significant changes by country between these periods. The 970,500 visitors from Australia in the March 2008 year accounted for 39 percent of all visitors to New Zealand. In the June 2010 year, visitors from Australia had increased (by 149,000 or 15 percent) to 1.119 million, and accounted for 45 percent of all visitors.
The increase from Australia was offset by decreases from most other main visitor source countries. Compared with the March 2008 year, there were fewer visitors from the United Kingdom (down 44,300 or 15 percent), Japan (down 32,900 or 28 percent), Korea (down 30,600 or 33 percent), the United States (down 28,700 or 13 percent), and China (down 19,100 or 15 percent) in the June 2010 year.
Detailed tables about visitor arrivals
The International Visitor Arrivals to New Zealand report, released monthly, contains detailed tables about the number and characteristics of visitor arrivals to New Zealand. It has previously been available only by subscription, but will now be available for free on Statistics NZ's website. This report is released two working days after the International Travel and Migration information release, meaning the June 2010 report will be available from 23 July 2010. The report will be accessible from the International Visitor Arrivals to New Zealand homepage.
Departures of New Zealand residents
Monthly resident departures
New Zealand residents departed on 198,800 short-term overseas trips in June 2010, up 22,500 (13 percent) from the 176,300 trips in June 2009. The highest departure total for a June month was 208,300 in 2007.
New Zealand residents took 8,400 more trips to Australia in June 2010, compared with the previous June. There were also more trips to the United States (up 3,000), the United Kingdom (up 2,600), and China (up 1,800).
The trend in New Zealand resident departures (169,600), derived from the seasonally adjusted series, is at an all time high. This series has been increasing since March 2009, and has surpassed the previous peak in January 2008 (167,700).
The estimated average number of New Zealand residents who were temporarily overseas during June 2010 was 118,900 per day, up 8,400 (8 percent) from the average in June 2009.
Annual resident departures
Short-term departures of New Zealand residents in the June 2010 year numbered 1.968 million, up 48,400 (3 percent) from the June 2009 year.
New Zealand residents departed on more trips to Australia (up 14,800 or 2 percent), Fiji (up 6,200 or 7 percent), and China (up 4,000 or 7 percent) in the June 2010 year. However, the 97,300 trips to Fiji were still well below the 109,800 trips to that country in the June 2006 year.
A holiday was the main travel purpose for 799,700 New Zealand residents who departed in the June 2010 year, up 16,900 (2 percent) from the previous year. Another 672,200 departed to visit friends and relatives (up 24,600 or 4 percent). Departures for business purposes (272,500) were up 10,900 (4 percent) from the June 2009 year.
Note: Provisional international travel statistics, including weekly and four-weekly resident departure data, are available on the Statistics NZ website. This data is updated each week with the most recently available information on resident departures to 10 major destination countries.
Permanent and long-term migration
Definition
Permanent and long-term (PLT) arrivals include people who arrive in New Zealand intending to stay for a period of 12 months or more (or permanently), plus New Zealand residents returning after an absence of 12 months or more. The former group may include people with New Zealand residency, as well as students and holders of work permits. PLT departures include New Zealand residents departing for an intended period of 12 months or more (or permanently), plus overseas visitors departing New Zealand after a stay of 12 months or more.
Monthly PLT migration
Seasonally adjusted net PLT migration was 100 (rounded figure) in June 2010, the lowest number since the series briefly fell below zero in November 2008. The monthly seasonally adjusted series has steadily decreased from 1,800 in January 2010. The decrease in the net series in recent months has been due to a fall in arrivals and a rise in departures.
On an unadjusted basis, PLT departures outnumbered arrivals by 700 in June 2010, a reversal from 700 more arrivals than departures in June 2009. The decrease in net migration in June 2010, compared with June 2009, was due to 500 fewer arrivals of non-New Zealand citizens and 900 more departures of New Zealand citizens.
In June 2010, there were net inflows of migrants from India (400), China, and the Philippines (each 200). The net outflow of 1,800 PLT migrants to Australia was up from 1,200 in June 2009, but still well down from the net outflow of 2,900 in June 2008. There was also a net outflow of 200 migrants to the United Kingdom in June 2010, compared with a net inflow of 300 in June 2009.
Annual PLT migration
Net migration was 16,500 in the June 2010 year, compared with 12,500 in the June 2009 year. The 65,800 PLT departures in the June 2010 year were down 13 percent from the June 2009 year. The 82,300 PLT arrivals were also down, by 7 percent.
The net PLT migration gain of 16,500 in the June 2010 year was higher than the annual average of 11,900 for the December years 1990–2009. Net PLT migration varied substantially within this 20-year period. The net gain peaked at 30,200 in the April 1996 year and again at 42,500 in the May 2003 year. Net outflows were experienced during most of 1998–2001, with the largest being a net loss of 13,200 people in the February 2001 year.
Annual PLT migration by country
In the June 2010 year, the net inflow of migrants from the United Kingdom was 7,100, down from 9,100 the previous year. Net inflows were also recorded from India (5,600) and China (3,600) in the June 2010 year.
The net PLT outflow to Australia was 15,900 in the June 2010 year, well down from 28,700 in the June 2009 year. The latest net outflow resulted from 31,700 departures to Australia being partly offset by 15,800 arrivals from Australia. The majority of migrants in both directions were New Zealand citizens.
Annual PLT migration by citizenship
There was a net outflow of 14,200 New Zealand citizens in the June 2010 year, the lowest outflow for a June year since 2003 (11,500). The net inflow of 30,700 non-New Zealand citizens was the lowest for a June year since 2000 (23,200).
PLT arrivals of New Zealand citizens numbered 26,200 in the June 2010 year, above the average of 23,500 recorded for the 1979–2009 December years, but below the peaks of the March 1991 year (29,600) and the October 2003 year (27,800). Arrivals of New Zealand citizens tend to show relatively little variation year-to-year, and the variation that does occur often follows trends in departures of New Zealand citizens a few years earlier.
PLT departures of New Zealand citizens have shown much more annual variation than arrivals of New Zealand citizens. The highest number of departures of New Zealand citizens was 64,300 in the October 1979 year, but by the January 1984 year, this had decreased to a low of 24,400. PLT departures of New Zealand citizens numbered 40,400 in the June 2010 year, well down from 52,500 in the June 2009 year, and 58,300 in the June 2008 year.
PLT arrivals of non-New Zealand citizens were less than 30,000 a year between 1979 and 1992, then doubled to reach a peak of 58,800 in the July 1996 year. Another peak of 72,800 was reached in the February 2003 year. The changes in arrivals of non-New Zealand citizens reflect changes in arrivals of temporary workers (including working holidaymakers) and overseas students staying for 12 months or more, as well as arrivals for residence. The 56,100 non-New Zealand citizen arrivals in the June 2010 year were down from 63,400 the previous June year.
PLT departures of non-New Zealand citizens have generally been increasing since 1984, corresponding with the general increase in arrivals of non-New Zealand citizens. In the June 2010 year, there were 25,400 PLT departures of non-New Zealand citizens, up from 23,300 in the June 2009 year.
Annual PLT migration by permit type
In the June 2010 year, 30,200 PLT arrivals were Australian or New Zealand citizens who did not require a permit to remain in New Zealand. Of those who did require a permit, 19,700 arrived on work permits, 15,100 arrived on student permits, 13,100 arrived on residence permits, and 3,800 arrived on visitor permits. Compared with the June 2009 year, there were fewer arrivals on each of these permit types, the biggest decrease being 3,700 fewer arrivals on work permits.
Recent international travel and migration articles
Statistics NZ has recently released a number of International travel and migration articles that can be accessed on the Statistics NZ website. The most recent articles are:
For technical information contact:
Nicholas Thomson
Christchurch 03 964 8700
Email: demography@stats.govt.nz
Next release ...
International Travel and Migration: July 2010 will be released on 20 August 2010.