Visitor arrivals increase driven by holidaymakers

Visitor arrivals increase driven by holidaymakers – Media release

21 September 2015

Holidaymakers contributed to a 7 percent increase in visitor arrivals to New Zealand in August 2015, when compared with August 2014, Statistics New Zealand said today. Visitor arrivals numbered 202,900 in August 2015 and 3.02 million in the August 2015 year. The annual figure was up 8 percent from the previous year.

"Holidaymakers had the biggest visitor increases by purpose for both the August month and year," population statistics manager Joel Watkins said. "China, Australia, and the United States drove the increase in holiday arrivals."

Highest-ever number of overseas trips by New Zealand residents annually

New Zealand-resident travellers departed on 218,500 overseas trips in August 2015, up 5 percent from August 2014. The annual total was 2.36 million (up 6 percent) – the highest ever. Annually, half of all New Zealand residents' overseas trips were to Australia. Residents took more trips to Australia, the United States, Fiji, and Indonesia compared with the August 2014 year.

Annual net gain of migrants surpasses 60,000

New Zealand had a record net gain (more arrivals than departures) of 60,300 migrants in the August 2015 year. The annual net gain in migrants has been setting new records as it approached 60,000 over the last 13 months. India contributed 12,700 to the net gain, China 8,400, the Philippines 4,500, and the United Kingdom 3,800.

The record annual permanent and long-term net gain of migrants in the August 2015 year resulted from 117,900 migrant arrivals, and 57,600 migrant departures.

Of the migrant arrivals in the August 2015 year:
• 24,500 were from Australia, with two-thirds being New Zealand citizens
• 13,900 were from India, with three-quarters having student visas
• 13,400 were from the United Kingdom, with most having work visas or New Zealand citizenship
• 10,600 were from China, with about half having student visas.

Seasonally adjusted figures showed a net gain of 5,500 migrants in August 2015. This included a net gain of 200 migrants from Australia – equal to last month's net gain, which was the highest in over 20 years (since 300 in March 1991).

See the International Travel and Migration: August 2015 commentary and tables for more information.

Ends

IntTravelAndMigrationAug15.pdf
itmaug15tables.xls

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