International Arrivals & Departures Exceed 7.1mil

International Arrivals and Departures Exceed 7.1 Million

Annual total passenger arrivals and departures (consisting of overseas visitors, New Zealand residents and migrants) reached 7.12 million in the December 2003 year, according to Statistics New Zealand. There were 3.58 million arrivals and 3.53 million departures, up 4 and 5 percent respectively, compared with the December 2002 year.

Overseas visitor arrivals totalled 2.11 million in 2003, up 61,300 or 3 percent from the December 2002 year. The 10 most important source countries contributed 1.66 million or almost four-fifths of all visitor arrivals in 2003. Australia with 702,200 visitors accounted for one-third of all visitors. The next largest source of visitors was the United Kingdom (264,800), followed by the United States (211,600), Japan (150,900), Korea (112,700), China (66,000) and Germany (52,500).

More than half of all short-term visitors to New Zealand in 2003 came for a holiday (1,083,700). A further 572,500 came to visit friends and relatives, 217,600 came on business, 48,400 came for education/medical reasons and 44,300 came to attend a conference.

Short-term departures by New Zealand residents exceeded 1.37 million in 2003, an increase of 6 percent, compared with the December 2002 year. Australia remained the most popular country of main destination, accounting for 710,400 or 52 percent of departures. The next three most popular destinations were Fiji (70,600), the United States (66,200) and the United Kingdom (65,300), each accounting for close to 5 percent of departures. Fiji maintained its position as a more popular destination than the United Kingdom and, for the first time in over 20 years, was a more popular destination than the United States.

Two-fifths (595,600) of the New Zealand residents departing for a short trip in 2003 went on a holiday. A further 409,200 left to visit friends and relatives, 214,000 went on business, 45,100 left for a conference, and 21,300 left for education/medical reasons.

In the December 2003 year, there was a net inflow of 34,900 permanent and long-term migrants compared with a net inflow of 38,200 in 2002. There was a net outflow of 11,200 New Zealand citizens, but a net gain of 46,100 non-New Zealand citizens, in 2003.

Brian Pink

Government Statistician

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