Visitor Arrivals Fall 10 Per Cent

External Migration: November 2001

Visitor Arrivals Fall 10 Per Cent

There were 164,600 short-term overseas visitor arrivals in New Zealand in November 2001, down 17,700 or 10 per cent on November 2000, according to Statistics New Zealand. This reflects the effects of the 11 September events in the United States and the collapse of Ansett Australia. While there were fewer visitors from Japan (down 9,300 or 48 per cent), the United States (down 2,500 or 13 per cent), Taiwan (down 1,500 or 36 per cent) and Singapore (down 1,100 or 23 per cent), visitors from China were up 1,100 or 28 per cent.

In the year ended November 2001, there were 1.913 million visitor arrivals, up 162,000 or 9 per cent on the previous November year. There were more visitors from Australia (up 66,100), the United Kingdom (up 24,100), China (up 20,000) and Korea (up 19,200), but fewer from the United States (down 10,400).

>From October to November 2001, seasonally adjusted visitor arrivals decreased by 8 per cent. This follows a 6 per cent drop from September to October 2001.

New Zealand residents departed on 101,900 short-term overseas trips in November 2001, about 11,000 or 10 per cent fewer than in November 2000. There were significant decreases in trips to Australia (down 7,800 or 13 per cent), the United States (down 2,300 or 38 per cent) and Fiji (down 1,100 or 21 per cent). In the year ended November 2001, New Zealand resident short-term departures numbered 1.293 million, up 35,000 or 3 per cent on the year ended November 2000.

In the month of November 2001, permanent and long-term (PLT) arrivals exceeded departures by 4,000, compared with a net gain of 800 in November 2000. The increase was the result of 2,100 more arrivals and 1,000 fewer departures. More New Zealanders returned home and fewer New Zealanders left in November 2001. PLT arrivals of New Zealand citizens in November 2001 were up 400 or 20 per cent on November 2000, with most of the increase from the United Kingdom and Australia. PLT arrivals of non-New Zealand citizens were up 1,700 or 45 per cent, with the largest increases from China (up 500), the United Kingdom and India (both up 200). New Zealand citizens, down 1,000 or 27 per cent, contributed almost all of the decrease in PLT departures.

The seasonally adjusted series recorded a net PLT inflow of 2,800 in November 2001. This was unchanged from October 2001.

In the year ended November 2001, there was a net inflow of 4,900 PLT migrants, compared with a net outflow of 9,600 migrants in the previous November year. This was the first net inflow in a November year since 1997. There was a net outflow to Australia (26,200), but net inflows from China (10,000), India (3,900), South Africa (2,800), Fiji (2,100) and Japan (1,900) in the year ended November 2001.

Brian Pink Government Statistician END

© Scoop Media