Leap day affects February travel

New Zealand residents departed on 107,900 short-term trips overseas in February 2008, up 11,500 (12percent) from February 2007, Statistics New Zealand said today.

Because 2008 is a leap year, there wasone more day in February 2008 than in February 2007.

If the 4,300 resident departures on this extra daywere excluded, there would have been an increase of 8 percent from February 2007.

In February 2008, there were more trips to Australia (up 6,700), and New Caledonia and the Cook Islands(both up 600), compared with February 2007.

In the year ended February 2008, New Zealand residents departed on 1.994 million overseas trips, up123,500 (7 percent) from the February 2007 year.

There were more trips to Australia (up 46,500), France(up 7,300), China (up 7,000), the Cook Islands (up 6,400) and the United States (up 6,300), but fewertrips to Fiji (down 7,600).

In February 2008, the number of visitor arrivals to New Zealand increased by 12,900 (5 percent) fromFebruary 2007.

Comparing the first 28 days only, the increase drops to 1 percent.Total visitor arrivals in the February 2008 year were up 52,500 (2 percent) from the previous year, to reach2.485 million.

There were more visitors from Australia and China, but fewer visitors from Korea, Japan andthe United Kingdom.

On a seasonally adjusted basis, permanent and long-term (PLT) arrivals exceeded departures by 200 inFebruary 2008.

The net PLT series averaged 500 between January and November 2007.

The net PLT migration inflow was 4,600 in the February 2008 year, down from a net inflow of 13,200 in theFebruary 2007 year.

The net outflow to Australia was 29,600 in 2008, compared with 22,200 in the previousyear.

The net outflow to Australia is at its highest level since the year ended July 2001 (when it was30,000).

Net inflows were recorded for the United Kingdom (6,900), India (4,200), the Philippines (3,200)and China (1,900).