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Aiport arrivals - Source: ONE News -
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Visitor arrivals into New Zealand slipped 1% in August, down 1,400 compared with the same time last year to 161,000 for the month.
A sharp decline in the number of visitors from Japan, Korea and China contributed to the fall, with visitors from each country down 39%, 34% and 29% respectively, according to Statistics New Zealand.
The average length of stay also declined from 18 days to 17 days.
Despite the dip in visitors, there were 12% (9,600) more visitors from Australia during the month, and a 7% (700) increase in the number of visitors from the United States.
Over the course of the year to the end of August, New Zealand received 2.41 million visitors, down 3% (69,700) from the August 2008 year.
Most visited New Zealand on holiday, or to visit family and friends and came from Australia.
Business travel to New Zealand declined 13% (34,000) during the year.
Kiwis keep travelling
The number of New Zealanders heading overseas on short trips in August was stable at 176,300.
Statistics New Zealand says it was the first month since October 2008 in which departures of New Zealand residents were not lower than the same month of the previous year.
More Kiwis headed to Australia, up 4% (3,600), drawn by the Bledisloe Cup in Sydney, but there were fewer trips to the US, down 15% (1,400).
Migration
There were 1,600 more permanent long-term arrivals (those staying for 12 months or more) into New Zealand than departures in August.
However, permanent arrivals were 900 fewer than in August 2008 mostly due to fewer incoming non-New Zealand citizens. Statistics New Zealand says the arrival of non-New Zealand citizens have been declining since April 2009.
Of those departing long term, there were 29% (2,000) fewer compared with the August 2008. Statistics New Zealand says since February permanent long term departures have fallen by at least 1,000 each month vis-a-vis their comparable month last year.
For the year to the end of August there was a 1% increase in the number of permanent arrivals to 87,500 compared with August 2008.
During the same time there has been a 12% drop in the number of
permanent departures to 71,900 PLT departures, bringing net
permanent migration to 15,600 in the August 2009 year.
