Summer Holds up Better than Expected

MEDIA RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
4 February 2009

Summer Holds up Better than Expected

Visitor arrivals figures out today show that visits during December helped the year end on a stronger note.

Statistics New Zealand figures showed total arrivals for December were up 1.6%, compared with the same month last year.

Arrivals for the whole of 2008 were on a par with a year earlier, down just 0.3%.

Australian arrivals for December were up by 5.6% and China, now New Zealand’s fourth-largest market for arrivals, returned to positive territory with arrivals up 1.8%.

“As New Zealand’s biggest visitor market, a positive performance from Australia was vital in helping New Zealand to get through the critical busy summer months,” Tourism New Zealand chief executive George Hickton said.

Mr Hickton said good air links, competitive airfares and a new summer television campaign in Australia had all contributed to the increased arrivals figures.

Arrivals from the USA and UK, countries which have been hard hit by the global economic downturn thus far, also showed better than expected results, with the US down 1% and the UK down 4.5%.

Tourism New Zealand is predicting long-haul markets will drop between 10 to 15 per cent between January and March, but if a predicted small rise in Australian numbers eventuates that could hold the overall decline at closer to 5 to 10%.

“The concern in the industry is for the period after March, when many operators here and abroad are starting to see bookings fall away.

“However, from Easter onwards New Zealand enters the quieter months for tourism and that will help the industry weather further expected declines,” Mr Hickton added.

International Visitor Arrivals December 2008:

• Australia 132,867 up 5.6%
• UK 39,177 down 4.5%
• USA 23,625 down 0.9%
• Canada 6,615 up 0.8%
• China 13,959 up 1.8%
• Korea 5,184 down 34.2%
• Japan 9,342 down 14.4%

ENDS

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