Visitor arrivals
Monthly visitor arrivals
Short-term overseas visitor arrivals to New Zealand numbered 188,000 in April 2010, down 7,900 (4 percent) from April 2009. This decrease was due to the earlier timing of Easter, and school holidays in some Australian states. Although the holiday periods began on 2 April in 2010, many visitors arrive shortly before holiday periods begin. The earlier holidays contributed to visitor arrivals increasing 7 percent in March 2010, compared with the previous March. In March and April 2010 combined, visitor arrivals were 2 percent above the same months of 2009.
The effect of the earlier holidays was shown by 16,300 fewer visitor arrivals during the 7–11 April period in 2010, compared with the same days in 2009. In 2009, these dates corresponded to the Tuesday before Easter until the Saturday during Easter.
The underlying trend, derived from the seasonally adjusted series, takes account of changes in the timing of holiday periods. The trend in visitor arrivals has declined 3 percent since a peak in November 2009. Prior to this, the trend had been increasing from a low in November 2008, during the global economic downturn.
The estimated average number of visitors in New Zealand per day was 141,300 in April 2010, just below the 141,800 in April 2009. Holiday travellers accounted for 56,100 of the visitors in New Zealand per day in April 2010, up 2 percent from the previous April. Travellers visiting friends and relatives averaged 45,100 per day, down 7 percent from April 2009.
Monthly visitors by source country
The 5,100 visitor arrivals from Korea in April 2010 were up 35 percent from the 3,800 arrivals in April 2009. However, this was only a partial recovery following declines from 8,600 in April 2007 and 7,000 in April 2008.
There were just 400 more visitor arrivals from Australia in April 2010, the smallest increase in the last 12 months. However, this was influenced by the earlier timing of Easter, and school holidays in some states. The earlier holidays contributed to 17,500 (20 percent) more visitors from Australia in March 2010, compared with March 2009. In March and April 2010 combined, visitors from Australia were up 10 percent compared with the same months of 2009.
There were fewer visitors from the United Kingdom (down 3,700 or 21 percent), the United States (down 2,100 or 15 percent), and Germany (down 800 or 23 percent) in April 2010. Most of the decrease from both the United Kingdom and Germany was in the first half of the month, before the volcanic eruption in Iceland disrupted air travel in Europe.
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
Visitor arrivals numbered 2.491 million in the April 2010 year, up 74,000 (3 percent) from the April 2009 year (2.417 million).
A holiday was the main travel reason for 1.199 million visitors to New Zealand in the year ended April 2010, up 42,000 (4 percent) from the previous year. Another 789,200 arrived to visit friends and relatives (up 41,700 or 6 percent), and 239,000 arrived for business (down 3,100 or 1 percent).
Annual visitors by source country
Visitor arrivals from Australia numbered 1.117 million in the April 2010 year, up 124,600 (13 percent) from 2009. The next highest increase was from France, up 3,000 (14 percent).
Fewer visitors came from Japan (down 16,800 or 18 percent), China (down 12,700 or 11 percent), the United Kingdom (down 12,300 or 5 percent), Korea (down 9,300 or 14 percent), and South Africa (down 7,300 or 30 percent) in the April 2010 year, compared with the April 2009 year.
Departures of New Zealand residents
Monthly resident departures
New Zealand residents departed on 163,000 short-term overseas trips in April 2010, just above the 162,400 trips in April 2009. This follows an increase of 13 percent in March 2010, compared with March 2009, which was helped by the earlier timing of Easter and the school holidays. Although these started on 2 April 2010, it is common to see increases in travel shortly before holiday periods begin.
New Zealand residents took 1,000 more trips to the United States in April 2010, compared with the previous April. In contrast, there were 2,600 fewer trips to Australia and 1,900 fewer trips to the United Kingdom. The earlier holiday periods contributed to both decreases. The disruption to air travel in Europe caused by the volcanic eruption in Iceland also contributed to the decrease in trips to the United Kingdom.
The trend in New Zealand resident departures, derived from the seasonally adjusted series, reached a record high in April 2010. The latest figure just surpassed the previous high in January 2008, recorded before the economic downturn contributed to a 6 percent decrease in this series between January 2008 and April 2009.
The estimated average number of New Zealand residents who were temporarily overseas per day during April 2010 was 93,300, just below the average of 93,800 in April 2009.
Annual resident departures
Short-term departures of New Zealand residents in the April 2010 year numbered 1.944 million, just above the 1.940 million departures in the April 2009 year.
New Zealand residents departed on 96,600 trips to Fiji in the April 2010 year, up 3,700 (4 percent) compared with 2009. However, this was still well below the April year high of 109,200 trips to Fiji in 2006.
There were also more trips to South Africa (up 2,800 or 23 percent), Thailand (up 2,500 or 9 percent), Singapore (up 2,300 or 18 percent), and Samoa (up 2,100 or 5 percent) compared with the April 2009 year.
Trips to Europe were down 10,700 (6 percent) compared with 2009, including 4,800 (5 percent) fewer trips to the United Kingdom. There were also fewer departures to Hong Kong (down 2,100 or 11 percent) in the April 2010 year.
A holiday was the main travel purpose for 785,400 New Zealand residents who departed in the April 2010 year, down 14,200 (2 percent) from the previous year. Another 670,800 departed to visit friends and relatives (up 27,400 or 4 percent). Departures for business purposes (268,000) were up 1,200 (less than 1 percent) from the April 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 800 in April 2010, the lowest since December 2008 (500). The monthly seasonally adjusted series had averaged 1,900 between February 2009 and January 2010. The decrease in the net series in recent months has been due to both a decrease in arrivals and an increase in departures.
On an unadjusted basis, PLT departures exceeded arrivals by 600 in April 2010, compared with an inflow of 400 in April 2009. Net outflows of 1,300 were recorded in the months of April 2007 and 2008. The decrease in net migration in April 2010, compared with April 2009, was mainly due to 700 fewer arrivals and 300 more departures of non-New Zealand citizens. Arrivals and departures of New Zealand citizens were little changed from April 2009.
In April 2010, net inflows of migrants came from India (400) and Japan (200). The net outflow of 1,500 PLT migrants to Australia was down from 1,600 in April 2009, and 3,200 in April 2008.
Annual PLT migration
Net migration was 20,000 in the April 2010 year, compared with 9,200 in the April 2009 year. Annual net migration has decreased from a high of 22,600 in the January 2010 year.
The 63,700 PLT departures in the April 2010 year were down 20 percent from 79,800 departures in the April 2009 year. The 83,600 PLT arrivals were also down, by 6 percent, from the 89,000 arrivals in the April 2009 year.
The net PLT migration gain of 20,000 in the April 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 year ended April 2010, the highest net PLT inflows were from the United Kingdom (8,000), India (5,600), and China (3,700). Substantial decreases in net PLT inflows were recorded for South Africa (down 1,900), the Philippines (down 1,700), and Fiji (down 1,700).
The net PLT outflow to Australia was 14,800 in the April 2010 year, well down from 32,000 in the April 2009 year. The latest net outflow resulted from 30,500 PLT departures to Australia, partly offset by 15,700 PLT arrivals from Australia. Almost 9 in every 10 PLT departures to Australia were New Zealand citizens (26,300). Of the PLT arrivals from Australia, two-thirds were New Zealand citizens (10,700), similar to levels observed over the past decade.
Annual PLT migration by citizenship
There was a net outflow of 12,500 New Zealand citizens in the April 2010 year, the lowest for an April year since 1995 (12,400). The net inflow of 32,400 non-New Zealand citizens was the lowest April year figure since 2005 (30,700).
PLT arrivals of New Zealand citizens numbered 26,400 in the April 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 38,900 in the April 2010 year, well down from 56,600 in the April 2009 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 57,200 non-New Zealand citizen arrivals in the April 2010 year were down from 64,500 the previous April 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 April 2010 year, there were 24,800 PLT departures of non-New Zealand citizens, up from 23,200 in the April 2009 year.
Annual PLT migration by permit type
In the April 2010 year, 30,400 PLT arrivals were Australian or New Zealand citizens who did not require a permit to remain in New Zealand. Of the 53,300 PLT arrivals who did require a permit, 20,300 arrived on work permits, 15,100 arrived on student permits, 13,300 arrived on residence permits, and 4,000 arrived on visitor permits. Compared with the April 2009 year, there were fewer arrivals on each of these permit types, the biggest decrease being 3,600 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: May 2010 will be released on 21 June 2010.