Visitors from the US outnumber those from the UK

Visitors from the US outnumber those from the UK – Media release

19 July 2013

The United States overtook the United Kingdom to become New Zealand's third-largest source of visitors in the June 2013 year, Statistics New Zealand said today.

"US and UK visitor numbers are both below the peaks seen in 2006, before the global economic downturn, but UK numbers have dropped much further," population statistics manager Andrea Blackburn said. "And a partial recovery in visitor numbers from the US over the last year means it now provides more visitors than any country besides Australia and China."

Visitor arrivals from the United States (189,500) were up 4 percent from the June 2012 year but down 16 percent from 2006. In comparison, visitor arrivals from the United Kingdom (189,000) were down 12 percent from the previous year and 39 percent from 2006.

In the year ended June 2013, there were 2.637 million visitors from all countries, unchanged from the previous year. Visitor arrivals in the month of June 2013 numbered a record 159,500, up 6 percent from the previous June.

New Zealand residents departed on 198,800 overseas trips in June 2013. This was down 10 percent from June 2012, but the fall was largely due to a later start to the winter school holidays.

In the June 2013 year, New Zealand residents departed on 2.141 million overseas trips, down 1 percent from the previous year. Departures were affected by changes in the timing of school holidays between years. Fewer people took trips to Australia (down 26,500) and the United Kingdom (down 8,200), but more went to the United States (up 8,200).

Net migration highest in four years

New Zealand had a seasonally adjusted net gain (more arrivals than departures) of 2,300 migrants in June 2013. This is the highest net gain since May 2009 (2,600). An increased net gain of migrants over the past six months was due to both more arrivals and fewer New Zealand citizens departing to Australia.

The seasonally adjusted net loss of 1,600 migrants to Australia in June 2013 was the smallest net loss since July 2010 (also 1,600). The latest net loss to Australia was well down from a high of 3,600 recorded in September 2011.

In the June 2013 year, New Zealand had a net gain of 7,900 migrants. This is up from a net loss of 3,200 in the June 2012 year, but below the annual average of 9,400 over the last 10 years.

International Travel and Migration: June 2013
International Travel and Migration: June 2013:
http://img.scoop.co.nz/media/pdfs/1307/IntTravelAndMigrationJun13.pdf

Tables:
http://img.scoop.co.nz/media/pdfs/1307/itmjun13tables.xls
ENDS

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