Visitor arrivals
Monthly visitor arrivals
Short-term overseas visitor arrivals to New Zealand numbered 184,900 in October 2010, down 1 percent from 187,400 in October 2009. This decrease is the first since May 2010, for comparisons with the same month of the previous year.
The estimated average number of visitors in New Zealand per day was 106,600 in October 2010, 1 percent below the 108,000 visitors estimated to have been in the country daily in October 2009.
Monthly visitors by source country
In October 2010, more visitors arrived from Korea (up 1,500) and China (up 1,000), compared with October 2009. Both increases represent only partial recoveries after earlier decreases. Visitor arrivals from Korea fell from 10,200 in October 2006 to just 3,900 in October 2009, before rebounding to 5,400 in October 2010. Visitors from China fell from 9,600 in October 2007 to 6,600 in October 2008, before returning to 8,600 in October 2010.
Visitor arrivals from Australia were down 6,500 in October 2010 compared with October 2009. Most of the decrease was from New South Wales (down 5,100), due to school holidays in that state lasting from 25 September to 10 October in 2010 compared with 3–18 October in 2009. The earlier holidays contributed to 2,700 more visitor arrivals from New South Wales in September 2010 compared with the previous September.
Fewer visitors arrived from the United Kingdom in October 2010 (14,800) compared with October 2009 (16,600). The latest figure is the lowest number of visitor arrivals from the United Kingdom for an October month since 2001 (14,300).
Note:
Provisional international travel statistics, including weekly and four-weekly visitor arrival data, are available on the Statistics NZ website. This data is updated each week with the most recently available information on visitor arrivals from 10 major source countries.
Annual visitor arrivals
Annual visitor arrivals to New Zealand numbered 2.514 million in the October 2010 year, up 75,600 (3 percent) from the October 2009 year (2.439 million).
Almost half of all visitors in the October 2010 year were arriving for a holiday (1.209 million). Another 782,900 arrived to visit friends and relatives, and 247,900 arrived for business.
Annual visitors by source country
In the October 2010 year compared with the October 2009 year, visitors from Australia increased by 53,900 (5 percent) to 1.115 million and accounted for 45 percent of all visitors. More visitors also arrived from the Asian countries of Korea (up 12,200 or 23 percent), China (up 11,500 or 11 percent), Japan (up 8,900 or 11 percent), and Taiwan (up 4,800 or 29 percent) – all of these increases being partial recoveries after decreases in previous years. There were also more arrivals from India (up 3,900 or 16 percent).
Fewer visitors arrived from the United Kingdom (down 17,000 or 7 percent), the United States (down 5,900 or 3 percent), Ireland (down 4,400 or 24 percent), and South Africa (down 3,500 or 17 percent) in the October 2010 year.
Detailed tables about visitor arrivals
The International Visitor Arrivals to New Zealand report, released monthly, contains detailed tables about the number and characteristics of visitor arrivals to New Zealand. The October 2010 report will be available from 24 November 2010 and accessible from the International Visitor Arrivals to New Zealand homepage on the Statistics NZ website (www.stats.govt.nz).
Departures of New Zealand residents
Monthly resident departures
New Zealand residents departed on 180,600 short-term overseas trips in October 2010, up 4,100 (2 percent) from 176,500 trips in October 2009. The latest figure is the highest number of short-term departures for an October month.
In October 2010 compared with October 2009, New Zealand residents took more trips to China, Malaysia, and the United States (each up 700), but fewer to Thailand (down 800).
Within New Zealand, Canterbury residents took more trips (up 1,600 or 7 percent) despite the region still recovering from a large earthquake on 4 September 2010. Residents from the Manawatu-Wanganui region also took more trips (up 1,200 or 24 percent). Auckland residents took 81,100 overseas trips in October 2010 (up 800 or 1 percent), accounting for 45 percent of all overseas trips by New Zealand residents. The Auckland region is home to one-third of New Zealand's population.
The trend in New Zealand resident departures (169,700), derived from the seasonally adjusted series, is at an all-time high. This series has been increasing since March 2009 (158,000), following a 6 percent decline during the global economic downturn, from a peak in January 2008 (167,700).
The estimated average number of New Zealand residents who were temporarily overseas during October 2010 was 109,800 per day, up 4,100 (4 percent) from the average in October 2009.
Annual resident departures
Short-term departures of New Zealand residents in the October 2010 year numbered 2.002 million, up 84,600 (4 percent) from the October 2009 year. This is the first time that annual departures have exceeded 2 million. Annual departures first passed 1 million in the June 1996 year and 1.5 million in the May 2004 year.
Almost half of all trips in the October 2010 year were to Australia (966,400), with the next most popular destinations being the United States (97,400), Fiji (96,300), the United Kingdom (92,400), China (64,800), the Cook Islands (58,900), and Samoa (44,600).
A holiday was the main travel purpose for 808,900 New Zealand residents who departed in the October 2010 year, up 4 percent from the previous year. Another 679,500 departed to visit friends and relatives (up 2 percent). Departures for business purposes (284,500) were up 11 percent from the October 2009 year.
Note: Provisional international travel statistics, including weekly and four-weekly resident departure data, are available on the Statistics NZ website. This data is updated each week with the most recently available information on resident departures to 10 major destination countries.
Permanent and long-term migration
Definition
Permanent and long-term (PLT) arrivals include people who arrive in New Zealand intending to stay for a period of 12 months or more (or permanently), plus New Zealand residents returning after an absence of 12 months or more. The former group may include people with New Zealand residency, as well as students and holders of work permits. PLT departures include New Zealand residents departing for an intended period of 12 months or more (or permanently), plus overseas visitors departing New Zealand after a stay of 12 months or more.
Monthly PLT migration
Seasonally adjusted net PLT migration was 700 in October 2010, down from 1,000 in September 2010. The change was due to more departures. Seasonally adjusted departures in October 2010 (6,600) were the highest seen since January 2009 (also 6,600).
Unadjusted PLT arrivals outnumbered departures by 1,700 in October 2010, down from 3,000 in October 2009. The main contributor to the decrease was 1,300 more New Zealand citizen departures, with 1,100 of these to Australia.
In October 2010, there were net inflows of migrants from the United Kingdom (900), India (600), and China (400). The net outflow of 1,900 PLT migrants to Australia was up from 800 in October 2009, but still down from the net outflow of 2,700 in October 2008.
The Canterbury earthquake (in September 2010) had no noticeable effect on international migration to and from the Canterbury region in October 2010. An increase in PLT departures from Canterbury was consistent with the national increase.
Annual PLT migration
Net migration was 12,600 in the October 2010 year compared with 18,600 in the October 2009 year. The 82,700 PLT arrivals in the October 2010 year were down 5 percent from the October 2009 year. The 70,100 PLT departures were up 3 percent.
The net PLT migration gain of 12,600 in the October 2010 year was similar to the annual average of 11,900 for the December years 1990–2009. Net PLT migration varied substantially within this 20-year period. The net gain peaked at 30,200 in the April 1996 year and again at 42,500 in the May 2003 year. Net outflows were experienced during most of 1998–2001, with the largest a net loss of 13,200 people in the February 2001 year.
Annual PLT migration by country
In the October 2010 year, the highest net inflow of migrants was from India (6,200). This surpassed the net inflow from the United Kingdom, which dropped from 9,200 in the October 2009 year to 5,800 in the October 2010 year. There was also a net inflow from China (3,600) in the October 2010 year.
The net PLT outflow to Australia was 19,200 in the October 2010 year, below the outflows in the October 2009 year (21,200) and the October 2008 year (34,600). The latest net outflow saw 35,000 departures to Australia offset by 15,800 arrivals from Australia. Most migrants in both directions were New Zealand citizens.
Annual PLT migration by citizenship
There was a net outflow of 18,500 New Zealand citizens in the October 2010 year, the lowest outflow for an October year since 2004 (16,900). The net inflow of 31,100 non-New Zealand citizens is the lowest for an October year since 2005 (30,700).
PLT arrivals of New Zealand citizens numbered 25,500 in the October 2010 year, above the average of 23,500 recorded for the 1979–2009 December years, but below the peaks of the March 1991 year (29,600) and the October 2003 year (27,800). Arrivals of New Zealand citizens tend to show relatively little variation year-to-year, and the variation that does occur often follows trends in departures of New Zealand citizens a few years earlier.
PLT departures of New Zealand citizens have shown much more annual variation than arrivals of New Zealand citizens. The highest number of departures of New Zealand citizens was 64,300 in the October 1979 year, but by the January 1984 year, this had decreased to a low of 24,400. PLT departures of New Zealand citizens numbered 44,000 in the October 2010 year, down from 44,700 in the October 2009 year and well below the October 2008 year figure of 60,000.
PLT arrivals of non-New Zealand citizens were less than 30,000 a year between 1979 and 1992, then doubled to reach a peak of 58,800 in the July 1996 year. Another peak of 72,800 was reached in the February 2003 year. The changes in arrivals of non-New Zealand citizens reflect changes in arrivals of temporary workers (including working holidaymakers) and overseas students staying for 12 months or more, as well as arrivals for residence. The 57,300 non-New Zealand citizen arrivals in the October 2010 year were down from 61,000 arrivals in the previous October year.
PLT departures of non-New Zealand citizens have generally been increasing since 1984, corresponding with the general increase in arrivals of non-New Zealand citizens. In the October 2010 year, there were 26,100 PLT departures of non-New Zealand citizens, up from 23,500 in the October 2009 year.
Annual PLT migration by permit type
In the October 2010 year, 29,500 PLT arrivals were Australian or New Zealand citizens who did not require a permit to remain in New Zealand. Of the 53,200 migrants who did require a permit:
- 19,500 arrived on work permits
- 16,200 arrived on student permits
- 13,100 arrived on residence permits
- 4,000 arrived on visitor permits.
Compared with the October 2009 year, fewer migrants arrived on work (down 2,700), residence (down 800), and visitor (down 700) permits, and more arrived on student permits (up 200).
Recent international travel and migration articles
Statistics NZ has recently released a number of International travel and migration articles that can be accessed on the Statistics NZ website (www.stats.govt.nz). The most recent articles are:
For technical information contact:
Nicholas Thomson
Christchurch 03 964 8700
Email: demography@stats.govt.nz
Next release ...
International Travel and Migration: November 2010 will be released on 21 December 2010.