Visitors up 5 Per Cent in March

External Migration: March 2000

There were 152,910 overseas visitor arrivals in March 2000, up 7,610 or 5 per cent on March last year, according to figures released by Statistics New Zealand. This was a record high for the month of March, surpassing the previous high of 149,290 in 1997. During the March 2000 year there were 1.652 million visitor arrivals, 134,000 or 9 per cent more than in the previous year.

Seasonally adjusted visitor numbers fell by 5 per cent in March 2000, from a record high in February 2000. This series has been generally increasing since March 1998.

In March 2000, there were increases in visitors from Asia (up 3,770), Australia (up 3,060) and Europe (up 2,900), compared with March 1999. Within these regions there were more visitors from Korea (up 2,820), the United Kingdom (up 910), China (up 880) and Thailand (up 860), but fewer visitors from Hong Kong (down 730).

Permanent and long-term departures exceeded arrivals by 2,520 in March 2000, slightly less than in March 1999 (2,540). In March 2000, there were net losses to Australia (2,170) and the United Kingdom (1,080), but a net gain from Asia (680). For the year ended March 2000 there was a net loss of 8,990 migrants, compared with a net loss of 10,200 last year. In the latest March year there was a net loss to Australia of 24,820 migrants, 4,750 more than the net outflow of 20,070 in the previous year, while there was a net gain of 11,100 from Asia, up from 9,990 last year. Over the same period, the net flow from Europe has turned to a net gain of 20 from a net loss of 4,300, owing partly to a large increase in New Zealand citizens returning from the United Kingdom.

Denise Brown
ACTING DEPUTY GOVERNMENT STATISTICIAN
END

© Scoop Media