Drop in September travel

Short-term overseas visitor arrivals (157,700) and New Zealand resident short-term departures (192,000) were both lower in September 2008 than in September 2007, Statistics New Zealand said today. Overseas visitor arrivals were down 11,100 (7 percent) from the 168,800 in September 2007. There were fewer visitors from China (down 2,700 or 33 percent), Australia (down 2,200 or 3 percent), Korea (down 2,000 or 31 percent), Japan (down 1,800 or 22 percent) and the United States of America (down 1,200 or 12 percent).

The 2.469 million visitor arrivals recorded in the September 2008 year were down 6,200 (less than 1 percent) from the previous September year.

New Zealand residents departing on short-term trips overseas in September 2008 were down 16,400 (8 percent) from September 2007. There were fewer departures to Australia (down 9,900 or 10 percent), France (down 3,100 or 55 percent), the United Kingdom (down 1,800 or 15 percent) and China (down 1,200 or 19 percent), but more departures to Canada (up 900 or 65 percent). For the September 2008 year, New Zealand resident departures numbered 1.976 million, up 32,600 (2 percent) from the previous year.

There was a net permanent and long-term (PLT) migration gain of 1,700 people in September 2008, down from 2,200 in September 2007. This resulted from 500 more PLT departures in September 2008.

In September 2008, there was a net inflow of PLT migrants from the United Kingdom (1,200), India (500), and the Philippines and Germany (each 300). The net PLT outflow to Australia was 2,400 in September 2008, up from 1,800 in September 2007.

On a seasonally adjusted basis, PLT arrivals matched PLT departures for the month of September 2008. The net PLT series averaged 500 per month between January 2007 and August 2008.

In the year ended September 2008, there was a net gain of 4,400 PLT migrants, down from 8,300 in the September 2007 year. There was a net outflow of 33,900 migrants to Australia, higher than the previous peak of 33,700 recorded in the January 1989 year.