NZ popular for travellers in September 

Source: ONE NewsBackpacking

Visitor arrivals to New Zealand took a leap forward in September, recording the largest monthly increases since April 2006.

There were 172,400 visitor arrivals during the month, up 14,700 arrivals or 9% on September 2008, according to Statistics New Zealand.

A 15% (12,600) rise in the number of arrivals from Australia was the largest driver of the monthly increase. Most arrivals from across the Tasman were visiting friends and relatives or on holiday, though there were fewer business travellers.

Also contributing to the rise was an increase of visitors from the United States, up 900.

China staged a turnaround from previous months, recording the first increase since March this year, with arrivals up 800. Statistics New Zealand says between June and November last year there were large decreases in monthly visitor arrivals from China following the earthquake in May and the Beijing Olympic Games in August.

Visitors from Korea, however, continued to decline as did visitors from Japan.

Overall, for the year to September, there were 43,900 fewer arrivals, down 2% on the year to September 2008.

Business travel slipped by 34,500 arrivals or 13% during the 12 months.

Travelling Kiwis

New Zealanders travelling on short-term trips overseas increased for the second month in a row, up 1,200 or 1% to 193,300 departures.

Statistics New Zealand says the August and September rises follow nine months of decline.

Departures to India increased by 47% (700 departures) over the course of the month, and there were big increases in the number of Kiwis travelling to Australia and Fiji.

Travel to the United States, France, Canada and Hong Kong declined.

For the year to September, short-term departures were down by 58,700 or 3% to 1.917 million.

Statistics New Zealand says Australia was the most popular destination, though there were fewer travelling there than the year before.

Migration

New Zealand had its highest annual migration gain in five years in the year to September.

Statistics New Zealand says there was a net gain of 17,043 permanent and long term migrants over the period which compares with just 4,400 a year earlier.

For the month of September there was a net migration gain of 1,800 migrants.

Statistics New Zealand says the rise in net migration is largely being driven by fewer people leaving the country.