International Travel and Migration: January 2010

Visitor arrivals

Monthly visitor arrivals

Short-term overseas visitor arrivals to New Zealand numbered 256,700 in January 2010, the highest number of visitor arrivals recorded for a January month. The total was up 12,600 (5 percent) from January 2009 (244,000) and surpassed the previous January high of 253,500 in 2008. Visitor arrivals have increased in eight of the last 10 months, compared with the same months of the previous year. The increase in visitor arrivals in January 2010 was attributable to an increase in air travel (up 15,700 or 7 percent), offset by fewer visitors arriving by cruise ship (3,700) compared with January 2009 (7,200).

The estimated average number of visitors in New Zealand per day was 211,500 in January 2010, up 6 percent from January 2009 (200,100). Holiday travellers accounted for 91,400 of the visitors in New Zealand per day in January 2010, up from 85,100 in January 2009. Travellers visiting friends and relatives averaged 85,400 per day in January 2010, up from 81,300 the previous January.

Monthly visitors by source country

Visitor arrivals from Australia were up 13,000 (16 percent) in January 2010, compared with January 2009. This continues the large monthly increases which began in April 2009. A holiday (up 7,400 or 20 percent), visiting friends and relatives (up 2,800 or 8 percent), and business (up 1,400 or 20 percent) were the main travel purposes contributing to the increase from Australia in January 2010.

There were increases in visitors from all Australian states and territories, with the largest increases from New South Wales (up 6,300 or 20 percent), Queensland (up 2,000 or 10 percent), Victoria (up 1,900 or 10 percent), and Western Australia (up 800 or 12 percent).

January 2010 also saw increases in visitor arrivals from Korea (up 1,900 or 30 percent), and Japan (up 1,200 or 16 percent). Although this is the first time since September 2007 that visitor arrivals from Japan have improved when compared with the same month of the previous year, arrivals were still almost half the peak of 16,000 in the January 2005 month. Similarly, visitor arrivals from Korea remained less than half the peak of 18,600 in January 2004.

There were fewer visitor arrivals from China (down 4,800 or 34 percent) and Hong Kong (down 1,000 or 41 percent) in January 2010, compared with January 2009. Visitor arrivals from these countries were affected by the timing of Chinese New Year, which occurred on 26 January in 2009, and on 14 February in 2010.

Annual visitor arrivals

There were 2.471 million visitor arrivals in the January 2010 year, up 22,000 (1 percent) on the January 2009 year (2.449 million) and similar to the 2.472 million visitor arrivals in the January 2008 year. This is the first time since the year ended August 2008 that there has been an increase in annual visitor arrivals. However, the 2.471 million visitor arrivals in the year ended January 2010 were still down on the record annual total of 2.497 million in the March 2008 year.

A holiday was the main travel reason for 1.188 million visitors to New Zealand in the year ended January 2010, up 10,500 (1 percent) from the previous year. Another 793,300 arrived to visit friends and relatives (up 47,600 or 6 percent), and 232,500 arrived for business (down 17,300 or 7 percent).

Annual visitors by source country

There were 1.096 million visitor arrivals from Australia in the January 2010 year, up 117,700 (12 percent) from 2009. According to figures from the Australian Bureau of Statistics, Australians departed on 8 percent more overseas trips in the December 2009 year, compared with 2008. This included 74,700 more trips to the United States and 167,800 more trips to Indonesia. New Zealand remains the most popular destination for Australians travelling abroad. 

However, fewer visitors came from the United Kingdom (down 22,400 or 8 percent), Japan (down 20,300 or 20 percent), Korea (down 19,700 or 26 percent), and China (down 18,400 or 16 percent) in the January 2010 year, compared with the previous January year.

Visitor arrivals from Australia have more than doubled since the January 2000 year (527,200). In contrast, the number of visitor arrivals from Japan (79,600) in the January 2010 year was less than half the annual high (174,800) recorded in the January 2003 year. Similarly, the number of visitor arrivals from Korea (54,800) was less than half the annual high (130,700) recorded in the April 1997 year.

Departures of New Zealand residents

Monthly resident departures

New Zealand residents departed on 106,800 short-term overseas trips in January 2010, up 1,700 (2 percent) from the 105,100 departures in January 2009. Despite the slight increase, these figures are both well below the January month high of 111,200 departures by New Zealand residents in January 2008.

In January 2010, New Zealand residents took fewer trips to Australia (down 2,000 or 3 percent) than in January 2009. However, they took more trips to Fiji (up 1,700 or 62 percent). Trips to Fiji have increased to the same levels as in January 2008 (4,500).

The estimated average number of New Zealand residents who were temporarily overseas per day during January 2010 was 121,000, down 3 percent from the average of 125,200 in January 2009. People who departed New Zealand primarily to visit friends and relatives accounted for just over half (61,600) of the January 2010 daily average. Holiday travellers overseas averaged 38,600 a day in January 2010, down 3,100 (8 percent) from January 2009. 

 

Annual resident departures

Short-term departures of New Zealand residents in the January 2010 year numbered 1.920 million, down 41,000 (2 percent) from 2009.

Trips to Australia (942,300), the most popular destination, were down 10,600 (1 percent) from the previous year. There were also fewer trips to the United Kingdom (down 6,200 or 7 percent), the United States (down 4,200 or 5 percent), and Fiji (down 3,700 or 4 percent). However, there were more trips to Samoa (up 3,800 or 10 percent).

A holiday was the main travel reason for 774,100 New Zealand residents who departed in the January 2010 year, down 41,100 (5 percent) from the previous year. Another 669,200 departed to visit friends and relatives (up 36,100 or 6 percent). Departures for business purposes (257,900) were down 20,400 (7 percent) from the year ended January 2009.

Note: Provisional international travel statistics, including weekly and four-weekly resident departure data, are available on the Statistics NZ website. This data is updated each week with the most recently available information on resident departures to 10 major destination countries.

Permanent and long-term migration

Definition

Permanent and long-term (PLT) arrivals include people who arrive in New Zealand intending to stay for a period of 12 months or more (or permanently), plus New Zealand residents returning after an absence of 12 months or more. The former group may include people with New Zealand residency, as well as students and holders of work permits. PLT departures include New Zealand residents departing for an intended period of 12 months or more (or permanently), plus overseas visitors departing New Zealand after a stay of 12 months or more.

Monthly PLT migration

PLT arrivals exceeded departures by 2,500 in January 2010, compared with 1,200 in January 2009. This is the highest net gain for a January month since 2004 (4,000). The increase was driven by 1,700 (30 percent) fewer PLT departures to Australia. PLT arrivals overall were down 400 from January 2009, although there were 200 more PLT arrivals of New Zealand citizens.

On a seasonally adjusted basis, PLT arrivals exceeded departures by 2,000 in January 2010, up from 1,700 in December 2009, and similar to the average of 1,900 experienced since February 2009.

In January 2010, there were net inflows of migrants from the United Kingdom (1,100), India, and China (each 400). There was a net outflow of 2,100 PLT migrants to Australia, the lowest for a January month since 2004, and a decrease from the net outflow of 4,100 in both January 2008 and 2009.

Annual PLT migration

Net migration was 22,600 in the January 2010 year, compared with 4,500 in the year ended January 2009. The increase in net migration was due to fewer departures. The 63,400 PLT departures in the January 2010 year were down 20,200 (24 percent) from the January 2009 year. Over the same period, there were 86,000 PLT arrivals, down 2,200 (2 percent). The latest annual net migration total is the highest since the May 2004 year (24,000).

 

The net PLT migration gain of 22,600 in the January 2010 year was higher than the annual average of 11,900 for the December years 1990–2009. Net PLT migration varied substantially within this 20-year period. The net gain peaked at 30,200 in the April 1996 year and again at 42,500 in the May 2003 year. Net outflows were experienced during most of 1998–2001, with the largest being a net loss of 13,200 people in the February 2001 year.

Annual PLT migration by country

In the year ended January 2010, there were net PLT inflows from the United Kingdom (8,900), India (5,900), and China (3,900), all of which were up from the January 2009 year. However, there were decreases in net migration from the Philippines, Fiji, and South Africa.

The net PLT outflow to Australia was 16,000 in the January 2010 year, less than half of the outflow of 35,400 in the January 2009 year. The latest net outflow resulted from 31,100 PLT departures to Australia, partly offset by 15,100 PLT arrivals from Australia. Almost 9 in every 10 PLT departures to Australia were New Zealand citizens (27,000). Of the PLT arrivals from Australia, two-thirds were New Zealand citizens (10,300), similar to levels observed over the past decade.

PLT departures to Australia decreased in all age groups in the January 2010 year, compared with the year ending January 2009. The largest numerical decrease was in the 20–24 year age group, down 2,800 or 33 percent, while the largest percentage decreases were in the 40–44 year and 45–49 year age groups (both down 43 percent). PLT departures to Australia in the January 2010 year were evenly split between males and females (both 15,500). In the previous January year, there were slightly more PLT departures of males (25,000) than females (23,500).

Annual PLT migration by citizenship

A net inflow of 36,000 non-New Zealand citizens and a net outflow of 13,400 New Zealand citizens were recorded in the January 2010 year.

PLT arrivals of New Zealand citizens numbered 26,300 in the January 2010 year, above the average of 23,500 recorded for the 1979–2009 December years, but below peaks in the March 1991 year (29,600) and the October 2003 year (27,800). Arrivals of New Zealand citizens tend to show relatively little variation year-to-year, and the variation that does occur often follows trends in departures of New Zealand citizens a few years earlier.

PLT departures of New Zealand citizens have shown much more annual variation than arrivals of New Zealand citizens. The highest number of departures of New Zealand citizens was 64,300 in the October 1979 year, but by the January 1984 year, this had decreased to a low of 24,400. There were 39,700 PLT departures of New Zealand citizens in the January 2010 year, down from 60,500 the previous January year.

 

PLT arrivals of non-New Zealand citizens were less than 30,000 a year between 1979 and 1992, then doubled to reach a peak of 58,800 in the July 1996 year. Another peak of 72,800 was reached in the February 2003 year. The changes in arrivals of non-New Zealand citizens reflect changes in arrivals of temporary workers (including working holidaymakers) and overseas students staying for 12 months or more, as well as arrivals for residence. At 59,700, arrivals in the January 2010 year were down by 4,700 from the previous January year.

PLT departures of non-New Zealand citizens have generally been increasing since 1984, corresponding with the general increase in arrivals of non-New Zealand citizens. There were 23,700 PLT departures of non-New Zealand citizens in the year ended January 2010, up 500 from the January 2009 year.

 

Annual PLT migration by permit type

In the January 2010 year, 30,200 PLT arrivals were Australian or New Zealand citizens who did not require a permit to remain in New Zealand. Of the 55,800 PLT arrivals who did require a permit, 21,400 arrived on work permits, 15,800 arrived on student permits, 13,700 arrived on residence permits, and 4,400 arrived on visitor permits. There were fewer arrivals on work permits (down 2,700), visitor permits (down 1,000), and residence permits (down 900) in the January 2010 year compared with the previous January year. The majority of residence approvals in recent years have been granted onshore, to people who arrived on other permit types.

In the January 2010 year, there were more PLT arrivals on student permits (up 300) compared with the January 2009 year. The increase in arrivals on student permits was driven by more students arriving from India (up 800) and China (up 500), offset by decreases in students from the United Kingdom and South Africa (both down 300), and the Philippines and Fiji (both down 200).

Recent international travel and migration articles

Statistics NZ has recently released a number of articles on international travel and migration topics. These can be accessed on the International travel and migration articles page on the Statistics NZ website. The most recent releases are:

 

For technical information contact:
Nicholas Thomson
Christchurch 03 964 8700
Email: demography@stats.govt.nz

Next release ...

International Travel and Migration: February 2010 will be released on 19 March 2010.