New Zealanders drive increase in international travel

International passenger movements to and from New Zealand numbered 9.06 million in 2007, StatisticsNew Zealand said today.

Since 2003, passenger movements have increased by almost two million, withalmost two-thirds of the increase being due to more short-term overseas trips by New Zealand residents.

The 6.46 million international passenger movements through Auckland airport in 2007 accounted for 71percent of all passenger movements to and from New Zealand. Another 18 percent (1.61 million) travelledthrough Christchurch airport and 7 percent (595,500) through Wellington airport.

The remaining 4 percenttravelled through other airports or seaports.Four out of every five visitors to New Zealand in 2007 came from the top ten source countries.

The leadingsource country was Australia (39 percent of all visitors), followed by the United Kingdom (12 percent of allvisitors).

These two countries and China contributed the majority of the increase in visitor arrivals between2003 and 2007.

Australia was the most visited destination by New Zealand residents, with half of all short-term overseastrips in 2007 to that country.

Fiji, the United Kingdom and the United States were each the destination for 5percent of New Zealand resident departures.

When compared with 2006, trips increased to all majordestinations except Fiji in 2007.

New Zealand recorded a net gain of 5,500 permanent and long-term migrants in 2007, with net inflows toAuckland (6,400), Canterbury (700), Otago (200) and Marlborough (100).

The largest net outflow was fromthe Bay of Plenty (1,200), followed by Manawatu-Wanganui (700), Waikato (600) and Wellington (500).

Both Manawatu-Wanganui and Wellington recorded net inflows in 2006.