Visitor arrivals dropped 3 per cent and overseas trips from New Zealand were down 10 per cent last month compared with June 2002, Statistics New Zealand said today.
There were 112,000 short-term overseas visitor arrivals last month, down 3200 on June 2002.
There were 7800, or 25 per cent, fewer visitors from Asia compared with June last year. Visitors from China were down 2900 (64 per cent), Japan down 2500 (36 per cent) and Taiwan down 1500 (58 per cent).
However, there were more visitors from Australia, up 2700 (7 per cent), the United Kingdom up 1800 (21 per cent) and the United States up 800 (5 per cent).
In the year to June 2003, there were overall 2.050 million visitor arrivals, up 94,600 (5 per cent) on the previous June year.
There were more visitors from Australia (up 31,200), the UK (up 21,400), Korea (up 13,200), Japan and the US (both up 13,000) and China (up 5000) compared with the year ended June 2002.
New Zealanders going overseas on short-term trips last month dropped by 10 per cent, or 14,000, on June 2002.
"Almost half of this decline can be attributed to a drop in trips to Asia (down 6700)," government statistician Brian Pink said in a statement.
"Possible reasons for these declines include concerns over severe acute respiratory syndrome (Sars), the Bali bombings and changes in timing of the start of the New Zealand school holidays from late June in 2002 to early July in 2003."
In the year to June 2003, New Zealand resident short-term departures numbered 1.278 million, up 1 per cent on the year ended June 2002.
Meanwhile, permanent and long-term (PLT) arrivals exceeded departures by 1900 in June 2003, the same as in June 2002. PLT arrivals included people -- such as students -- who intended to stay longer than 12 months.
There was a net migration gain of 42,500 for the year to June 2003 -- 30 per cent higher than to June last year.
New Zealand citizen departures were down 6700 and non-New Zealand citizen arrivals were up 2800.
There were significant net inflows from China (14,800), India (6100), Japan (2300), South Africa (2100) and Korea (2000) in the year ended June 2003.
"There was also a substantial net inflow from the UK (8500), up 72 per cent on the June 2002 year (4900)," Mr Pink said.
Conversely, there was a net outflow to Australia of 9700 in the June 2003 year, compared with net outflows of 13,700 in the June 2002 year and 31,000 in 2001.
- NZPA
Fewer visitors from Asia, more from Australia/UK in June
AdvertisementAdvertise with NZME.