Record number of overseas trips

Embargoed until 10:45am – 20 July 2007

Record number of overseas trips

New Zealand residents departed on 208,300 short-term trips in June 2007, up 20,500 (11 percent) on the 187,800 departures in June 2006, Statistics New Zealand said today. This is a record number of departures for any month. While half of the increase was in trips to Australia (up 10,000 or 12 percent), there were also more trips to the United Kingdom, the Cook Islands, Samoa and Canada. The America's Cup yachting regatta in Valencia saw trips to Spain increase, from 600 in June 2006 to 1,200 in June 2007. However, the political situation in Fiji continued to affect departures to that country (down 1,200 or 10 percent).

In the June 2007 year, New Zealand residents departed on 1.924 million trips, up 36,600 (2 percent) on the previous year. Resident departures have been steadily increasing since the June 1991 year.

Visitor arrivals in June 2007 totalled 145,500, up 5,600 (4 percent) on June 2006. In the year ended June 2007, there were 2.458 million visitor arrivals, up 80,200 (3 percent) on the previous year. Visitors from Australia (up 39,000 or 4 percent) and China (up 19,600 or 20 percent) contributed to this increase.

However, the number of visitors from Japan decreased (down 17,800 or 12 percent), continuing a two-year decline in visitors from that country.

On a seasonally adjusted basis, permanent and long-term (PLT) arrivals exceeded departures by 600 in June 2007. This series had been above 1,000 for the June to December 2006 months. Actual PLT departures of New Zealand citizens to Australia were up 600 compared with June 2006.

Net permanent and long-term migration was 10,100 in the June 2007 year, down from the net gain of 10,700 in the June 2006 year. Annual net PLT migration has eased since reaching 14,800 in the November 2006 year. The June 2007 year's figure is close to the annual average of 12,200 recorded for the December years 1990–2006.

Geoff Bascand
Government Statistician

ENDS

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