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Visitor arrivals return to October 2010 level

Thursday 22 November 2012, 3:01PM

By Statistics New Zealand

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Visitors to New Zealand decreased by 15 percent (down to 184,200) in October 2012, compared with October 2011, Statistics New Zealand said today.

"The decrease in October 2012 followed an increase in October 2011, when 53,200 visitors arrived for the Rugby World Cup," population statistics manager Andrea Blackburn said. "The latest month had a similar number of visits as October 2010."

Although the number of visits was similar in October 2010 and October 2012, where they came from differed. Compared with 2010, October 2012 had more arrivals from China (up 6,700), and fewer arrivals from the United Kingdom (down 2,000), Japan (down 1,700), and Korea (down 1,400).

In the October 2012 year, 2.563 million visitors arrived in New Zealand, down 1 percent from the October 2011 year, when the Rugby World Cup was held. The largest increases were in visitors from China and Australia, and the largest decreases from the United Kingdom, South Africa, and France.

New Zealand residents departed on 190,100 overseas trips in October 2012, compared with 188,100 in October 2011, and 180,600 in October 2010. The October 2011 figure was boosted by the later timing of school holidays that year.

In the October 2012 year, New Zealand residents departed on 2.173 million overseas trips, up 5 percent from the October 2011 year. The biggest increases were in trips to Australia (up 30,500) and the United States (up 18,300), the latter helped by a favourable currency exchange rate.

Net gain of 300 migrants in October

New Zealand had a seasonally adjusted net gain (more arrivals than departures) of 300 migrants in October 2012. There have been net gains in this series for four of the last six months. The seasonally adjusted net loss to Australia was 3,200 in October 2012. Net outflows to Australia have remained relatively stable since March 2011, averaging 3,300 per month.

In the October 2012 year, New Zealand had a net loss of 2,300 migrants. There has been an annual net loss of migrants since the October 2011 year.

The net loss of migrants to Australia in the October 2012 year was 39,300, down from the record of 40,000 in the August 2012 year. The October 2012 annual figure resulted from 53,700 departures to Australia, offset by 14,400 arrivals from Australia. In both directions, most migrants were New Zealand citizens.

There were net gains of migrants from most other countries, led by the United Kingdom (5,700), China (5,200), and India (5,000).

See also:  International Travel and Migration: October 2012  –  Information release