Visitor arrivals cool off in April

21 May 2018

Visitor arrivals fell 28,000 to 283,900 in April 2018, compared with the same month last year, Stats NZ said today.

Numbers fell for the majority of countries except China, with the most significant changes to:
• Australia (down 20,800 to 109,800)
• United Kingdom (down 3,400 to 12,700)
• United States (down 2,600 to 22,300)
• China (up 7,200 to 46,500).

“Last year’s April saw particularly high visitor numbers with Easter, Anzac Day, and the school holidays all falling in the same month, making it an attractive option for many trans-Tasman holidaymakers,” population insights senior manager Brooke Theyers said.

Over 130,000 Australians visited in the April 2017 month and helped contribute to last year’s record April month arrivals (311,900). With Easter this year starting in March, the usual boost in numbers was less concentrated in the April month. Although the March 2018 numbers rose to a high of 388,300, Easter numbers have not carried through to the same extent in April.

Despite the dip in April, visitor numbers continue to grow. Arrivals for the April 2018 year increased 5.4 percent to 3.79 million. Australia contributed the most visitors with 1.47 million, followed by China with 444,900 and the United States with 337,600.

Resident departures remain steady

The number of Kiwis who took flights overseas in April 2018 was almost unchanged from April last year (down 900 to 243,300).

The biggest shift was the fall in departures to Australia (down 9,000 to 97,900), although this was partly offset by gains from:

• United States (up 2,000)
• New Caledonia (up 1,700)
• Fiji (up 1,500).

Australia, the United States, and Fiji were the most popular destinations for resident travelers this month, together accounting for 55 percent of all resident departures.

Over the April 2018 year, the largest increase in New Zealand departures was to Fiji, with an additional 22,800 Kiwis travelling to Fiji, compared with the April 2017 year.

Authorised by Liz MacPherson, Government Statistician, 21 May 2018

For more information about these statistics:

• Visit International travel and migration: April 2018
• See CSV files for download

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