Visitor Arrivals Up 5 Percent
There were 250,100 short-term overseas visitor arrivals to New Zealand in February 2005, an increase of 12,000 (5
percent) on February 2004, Statistics New Zealand said today. Because 2004 was a leap year, there was one extra day in
February 2004.
In February 2005, there were more visitors from China (up 3,700 or 58 percent), Hong Kong (up 2,700 or 170 percent),
Australia (up 2,400 or 3 percent) and the United States (up 2,400 or 10 percent) than in February 2004. There were fewer
visitors from Japan (down 1,400 or 8 percent) and French Polynesia (down 1,000 or 49 percent). The change in the timing
of the Chinese/Lunar New Year, from January in 2004 to February in 2005, was a likely contributor to the rise in
visitors from many of the countries in Asia – especially China and Hong Kong.
The number of stay days for all visitor arrivals in February 2005 was down 6 percent on February 2004, from 5.51 million
to 5.20 million days. The average length of stay was 21 days in February 2005, compared with 23 days in the previous
February.
In the year ended February 2005, there were 2.365 million visitor arrivals, up 219,800 (10 percent) on the February 2004
year. There were more visitors from Australia (up 135,900), China (up 21,800), Japan (up 15,100), the United Kingdom (up
14,300) and the United States (up 9,500), compared with the year ended February 2004.
Seasonally adjusted monthly visitor arrivals were up less than 1 percent in February 2005, following a fall of 3 percent
in January 2005.
New Zealand residents departed on 93,500 short-term overseas trips in February 2005, an increase of 8,900 (11 percent)
on February 2004. There were more trips to Australia (up 5,100 or 10 percent), Fiji (up 900 or 34 percent) and the
United States (up 700 or 19 percent).
In the year ended February 2005, New Zealand resident short-term departures numbered 1.760 million, up 25 percent on the
1.407 million recorded in the year ended February 2004.
Permanent and long-term (PLT) arrivals exceeded departures by 1,800 in February 2005, compared with an excess of 3,400
in February 2004. The lower excess in February 2005 resulted from 1,000 fewer PLT arrivals and 700 more PLT departures.
Non-New Zealand citizen arrivals decreased by 1,000, while New Zealand citizen departures increased by 500. The
seasonally adjusted series recorded a net PLT inflow of 600 in February 2005, up from an inflow of 500 in January 2005.
In the year ended February 2005, there was a net PLT migration gain of 11,100, down 63 percent on the net inflow of
30,100 people recorded in the previous February year. This resulted from 78,200 PLT arrivals (down 10,900), and 67,100
PLT departures (up 8,100) in the February 2005 year. Compared with the February 2004 year, non-New Zealand citizen
arrivals were down 8,100 and non-New Zealand citizen departures were up 3,000. There were 2,800 fewer New Zealand
citizen arrivals and 5,100 more New Zealand citizen departures.
In the year ended February 2005, there was a net PLT inflow of 8,900 from the United Kingdom, down 15 percent on the
February 2004 year figure of 10,400. There were also net inflows from India (2,200) and Japan (2,000). Overall, net PLT
inflow from Asia has reduced, from 19,100 in the February 2004 year to 7,800 in the February 2005 year. There was a net
outflow to Australia of 16,300 in the February 2005 year, compared with 10,600 in the previous February year.
Brian Pink
Government Statistician
END