Gain in visitor arrivals continues

Visitor arrivals in October 2009 (187,400) were up 13,400 (8 percent) compared with October 2008, Statistics New Zealand said today. Arrivals from Australia (up 15,900 or 22 percent) were again the major contributor, with October 2009 being the seventh consecutive month of large increases from across the Tasman. There was also an increase in visitors from China (up 1,100), but a drop in visitor arrivals from Korea (down 1,900) and the United Kingdom (down 1,300). Visitor arrivals in the October 2009 year (2.439 million) were down 24,400 (1 percent) from the October 2008 year.

New Zealand residents departed on 176,500 short-term overseas trips in October 2009, up 600 (less than 1 percent) from October 2008. There were more trips to Australia (up 2,400 or 3 percent), and Samoa (up 1,200 or 37 percent), but fewer trips to the United Kingdom (down 900 or 19 percent). For the October 2009 year, short-term departures of New Zealand residents numbered 1.918 million, down 65,900 (3 percent) from the previous year.

Permanent and long-term (PLT) departures decreased by 2,000 in the October 2009 month, including 1,800 fewer departures to Australia and 200 fewer departures to the United Kingdom. Since February 2009, monthly PLT departures have fallen by at least 1,000, compared with the same month of the previous year. PLT arrivals decreased by 500 in October 2009.

On a seasonally adjusted basis, PLT arrivals exceeded PLT departures by 2,100 in October 2009, similar to levels experienced since February 2009.

New Zealand's annual net PLT migration balance was a gain of 18,600 in the October 2009 year, up from 4,300 in the October 2008 year. The increase in net migration was driven largely by 14,900 fewer PLT departures compared with the previous year.

Geoff Bascand 23 November 2009
Government Statistician