Rugby World Cup impacts on international travel

20 November 2007

Rugby World Cup impacts on international travel

When compared with the same months in 2006, New Zealand residents departed on 6,700 more trips to France and 2,400 more trips to the United Kingdom in September and October 2007, Statistics New Zealand said today.

These increases coincided with the Rugby World Cup held in France and the United Kingdom during these months. In October 2007, New Zealand residents departed on 168,100 short-term trips, up 15,700 (10 percent) on the 152,400 trips in October 2006. There were also 7,000 more trips by

New Zealand residents to Australia in October 2007. In the October 2007 year, New Zealand residents departed on 1.959 million trips, up 100,700 (5 percent) from the previous year. Trips to Australia were up 54,300 (6 percent) but trips to Fiji were down 14,100 (13 percent).

In October 2007, there were 179,900 visitor arrivals, a decrease of 6,700 (4 percent) on the 186,600 visitor arrivals in October 2006. There were more visitors from China (up 1,200 or 15 percent) but fewer from Korea (down 3,100 or 30 percent) and most other main source countries. In the year ended October 2007, there were 2.469 million visitor arrivals, up 74,200 (3 percent) from the previous year. There were more visitors from Australia, China and the United Kingdom, but fewer visitors from Japan, the United States and Korea.

On a seasonally adjusted basis, permanent and long-term (PLT) arrivals exceeded departures by 300 in October 2007. Actual PLT departures of New Zealand citizens were up 300 and PLT arrivals of non-New Zealand citizens were down 300 compared with October 2006. Net PLT migration was 7,500 in the October 2007 year, down from the net gain of 13,800 in the October 2006 year. There was a net PLT outflow of 26,500 to Australia and net PLT inflows from the United Kingdom (7,700), India (3,300) and the Philippines (3,300).

Geoff Bascand Government Statistician 20 November 2007

ENDS

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