New Zealand Out-Travelling Australia

16 May 2006

New Zealand Out-Travelling Australia

New Zealanders now take almost twice as many international trips per person as Australians, according to newly released travel statistics based on departure cards from both countries.

New Zealanders made 1.86 million international trips in the year ended March 2006.

Australians, with five times the population, made just 4.75 million during the same period, around half the number of New Zealand trips per person, according to Asmal Travel Statistics.

Flight Centre general manager Jeremy van de Klundert said this was one statistic that stacked up favourably on the side of New Zealand.

“The number of New Zealanders travelling internationally is very large for a country our size, especially one as geographically remote as ours.

“It reinforces the notion we have of ourselves; of a country that has become very internationally focused, and loves to explore.”

Despite a slight drop in numbers during the March quarter, the number of New Zealanders travelling remains high, growing by an overall five percent in the year ended March 2006.

Mr van de Klundert said while more than half of these trips were to Australia, the share of New Zealand’s overall travel mix made up by Australia is decreasing as people travel further abroad.

As travellers, Australia still rates higher than the US, which remains one of the least travelled Western nations with a total of just 27.4 million trips in 2004 from a population of 295 million.

Broken down, New Zealanders took 0.45 international trips per person and Australians 0.24, while Americans took just 0.09 trips per person.

ENDS

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