Overseas visitor numbers hit January record

Wednesday 9th March 2011

The number of visitors arriving in this country for a short-term stay rose 3% in January from a year earlier, to 265,600 - a record for a January month.

Publishing the figures today, Statistics New Zealand (SNZ) said the number of visitors from China rose by 5100 in January compared to a year earlier, with a rise of 1700 from Australia and 900 from Japan.

The increase in visitors from China was influenced by an earlier Chinese New Year holiday period, which was a popular time for travel.

Visitor numbers from Britain fell further, 3500 lower in January this year than 12 months earlier, continuing declines seen in almost every month since April 2007, SNZ said.

The estimated average number of visitors in this country each day during January was 212,300, up from 211,500 a year earlier.

For the year to January, visitor numbers were up 3% from a year earlier to 2.53 million, with the 127,800 visitors from China during the latest year an annual record, and 30,400 or 31 percent higher than in the January 2010 year.

Annual visitor numbers from Australia were up 25,900, while 13,000 more visitors came from Korea, 9000 more from Japan, 4400 more from Taiwan, and 4000 more from India.

Visitor numbers from Britain fell 27,400 for the year, with numbers from the US down 8300 and from Ireland down 3500.

The number of New Zealand residents leaving on short term overseas trips lifted 10% to 117,700 in January from a year earlier. The latest figure was the highest on record for a January month.

In the year to January departures rose 6% to 2.04m.

NZPA

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