Trips to the Pacific Islands and Asia increase

4 February 2008

Trips to the Pacific Islands and Asia increase

In December 2007, there were more trips by New Zealand residents to countries in the Pacific and Asia than in December 2006, Statistics New Zealand said today. The biggest increase was in trips to Fiji (up 1,900 or 32 percent), followed by China (up 1,700 or 22 percent), India (up 900 or 19 percent), the Cook Islands (up 800 or 23 percent) and New Caledonia (up 800 or 188 percent). Overall, New Zealand residents departed on 199,700 short-term overseas trips, up 9,200 or 5 percent from December 2006. December month departures of residents have been steadily increasing since 2001.

In the year ended December 2007, New Zealand residents departed on 1.980 million overseas trips, up 116,400 (6 percent) from the December 2006 year. Trips to Australia were up 48,500 (5 percent), but trips to Fiji were down 8,800 (8 percent), influenced by the political situation in that country. In December 2007, the number of visitor arrivals to New Zealand decreased by 1,800 (1 percent) compared with December 2006. There were fewer visitor arrivals from the United Kingdom (down 4,400 or 10 percent) and Korea (down 3,600 or 31 percent), but these were partly offset by more visitor arrivals from Australia (up 4,600 or 4 percent).

In the year ended December 2007, there were 2.466 million visitor arrivals, up 44,100 (2 percent) from the previous year. There were more visitors from Australia, China, South Africa and Thailand, but fewer visitors from Japan, Korea, the United States, Fiji, Taiwan and the United Kingdom. On a seasonally adjusted basis, permanent and long-term (PLT) arrivals were the same as departures in

December 2007. Seasonally adjusted monthly arrivals had been greater than departures since May 2001. The net PLT migration inflow was 5,500 in the December 2007 year, down from a net inflow of 14,600 in the December 2006 year. The net outflow to Australia was 28,000 in 2007, compared with 20,700 the previous year.

This takes the net outflow to Australia to its highest level for a December year since 1988 (when it was 33,400). Net PLT inflows were recorded from the United Kingdom (7,100), India (3,600) and the Philippines (3,200). Geoff Bascand Government Statistician 4 February 2008

ENDS

© Scoop Media