First Rugby World Cup visitors show up in stats

More than 4,000 international visitors to New Zealand who arrived last month are here for the Rugby World Cup, latest figures from Statistics New Zealand show. Photo / file

More than 4000 international visitors to New Zealand who arrived last month are here for the Rugby World Cup, Statistics New Zealand figures show.

According to the figures released today, 4400 August visitors said they were here for the Rugby World Cup, with 2100 of those arriving in the last week of the month.

Since July, 5600 visitors have indicated they were arriving for the Rugby World Cup.

Population Statistics manager Andrea Blackburn said overseas trips by New Zealand residents and short-term visitor arrivals were both at record levels for an August month.

"Overseas trips by New Zealand residents were up 6 per cent to 191,000," she said. "At the same time visitor arrivals were up 5 per cent to 175,900 and there was a net inflow of permanent and long-term migrants for the first time since February 2011."

The largest increase in overseas trips by New Zealand residents in August 2011 was to Australia, up 4500. New Zealand residents also took more trips to Thailand, Fiji, India, and Malaysia. However, trips to the United Kingdom were down 2100.

The largest increase in visitor arrivals last month was from Australia, up 4800.

More visitors also arrived from Malaysia, China, and Indonesia, but there were fewer visitors from the United States, Japan, and Korea.

- NZ HERALD ONLINE