December 2012 visitor volume similar to 2011

December 2012 visitor volume similar to 2011 – Media release

The number of visitor arrivals in December 2012 (364,000) was nearly unchanged from December 2011, but was up 5 percent from December 2010, Statistics New Zealand said today.

"Although there wasn't much change in volume from 2011, there were still differences by country," population statistics manager Andrea Blackburn said. "Compared with 2011, December 2012 visitor arrivals from China, Japan, and Germany increased, while arrivals from Australia, the United Kingdom, and Malaysia decreased."

The increase from China continued a growing number of monthly visitor arrivals from that country since May 2010. Japan's increase was a recovery from drops in 2011 after the Christchurch earthquake in February and Japan's earthquake and tsunami in March.

In the December 2012 year, 2.565 million visitors arrived in New Zealand, down 1 percent from 2011, when the Rugby World Cup was held. The largest increase by far was in visitors from China, but this was countered by decreases from the United Kingdom, France, and South Africa.

New Zealand residents departed on 216,800 overseas trips in December 2012. This was fewer than the 218,900 trips taken in December 2011, but was still more than the 206,000 trips in December 2010.

In the December 2012 year, New Zealand residents departed on 2.169 million overseas trips, up 4 percent from the previous year. The biggest increases were in trips to the United States (up 17,300) and Australia (up 15,600). Trips to the United States were helped by a favourable currency exchange rate.

Net migration zero

New Zealand had seasonally adjusted net migration of zero in December 2012, when arrivals equalled departures. This is close to the average monthly net loss of 100 migrants over the past year. The seasonally adjusted net loss to Australia was 3,300 in December 2012, the same as the average net outflow to Australia per month since March 2011.

In the December 2012 year, New Zealand had a net loss of 1,200 migrants. There has been an annual net loss of migrants since the October 2011 year, peaking at 4,100 in the February and August 2012 years.

The net loss of migrants to Australia in the December 2012 year was 38,800, down from the record of 40,000 in the August 2012 year. The December 2012 annual figure resulted from 53,700 departures to Australia, offset by 14,900 arrivals. In both directions, most migrants were New Zealand citizens.

There were net gains of migrants from most other countries, led by the United Kingdom (5,700), China (5,200), and India (5,100).
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Authorised by:
Geoff Bascand
Government Statistician

Published 1 February 2013

For more information about these statistics:
• Visit International Travel and Migration: December 2012
• Open the attached files

Information release (PDF) Tables (Excel) Copy of this media release (PDF)

(See attached file: IntTravelAndMigrationDec12.pdf) (See attached file: itm-dec12-tables.xls) (See attached file: IntTravelAndMigrationDec12MR.pdf)

IntTravelAndMigrationDec12MR.pdf

itmdec12tables.xls

IntTravelAndMigrationDec12.pdf

ENDS

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