Visitor Arrivals from Australia Increase

Embargoed until 10:45am – 21 November 2006

Visitor Arrivals from Australia Increase

There were 186,600 short-term visitor arrivals in October 2006, an increase of 10,400 (6 percent) on October 2005, Statistics New Zealand said today. Visitors from Australia contributed the largest increase, up 8,000 or 12 percent. More visitors also came from China, Korea and the United Kingdom compared with the previous October, but the decrease in Japanese visitors continued. Seasonally adjusted monthly visitor arrivals increased by 1 percent in October 2006.

In the year ended October 2006, there were 2.394 million visitor arrivals, down slightly from the 2.395 million visitor arrivals in the previous October year. There were more visitors from China (up 17,900) and Australia (up 16,900), but fewer from Japan (down 20,800) and the United Kingdom (down 18,000). About a quarter of visitor arrivals from Australia in the October 2006 year were New Zealand-born.

New Zealand residents departed on 152,400 short-term overseas trips in October 2006. This was 8,900 (6 percent) lower than October 2005, but still above the 150,200 departures in October 2004. More trips were taken by New Zealand residents to the Cook Islands, while there were fewer trips to Australia, Fiji, Taiwan and Malaysia.

In the October 2006 year, there were 1.858 million New Zealand resident short-term departures, just below the 1.861 million departures the previous October year.

Permanent and long-term (PLT) arrivals exceeded departures by 2,400 in October 2006, compared with an excess of 1,800 arrivals in October 2005. On a seasonally adjusted basis, there was a net PLT inflow of 1,200 in October 2006.

In the October 2006 year, there was a net PLT migration gain of 13,800, compared with a net inflow of 6,000 people in the previous October year.

Brian Pink
Government Statistician

ENDS

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