WELLINGTON, Sept. 11 (Xinhua) -- Visitor arrivals from Asia to New Zealand fell 1,700 (2.6 percent) in July 2019 compared with the same month last year, New Zealand’s statistics department Stats NZ said on Wednesday.
There were fewer visitors from China, Malaysia, and China's Hong Kong but more from Singapore, China's Taiwan, and Indonesia.
“Visitor arrivals from Asia have been falling for six months in a row when compared with the corresponding month last year,” population indicators manager Tehseen Islam said.
“The fall in arrivals from Asia was more than offset by an increase in visitors from other key markets, especially Australia and the United States.”
The total number of visitor arrivals was 255,600, up 5,100 (2.0 percent) in July 2019 when compared with the same month last year.
Annual overseas visitor arrivals increased 104,400 (2.8 percent) to 3.9 million for the year ended July 2019 compared with the year ended July 2018.
The number of visitors who spent 15 days or more in New Zealand increased by 57,400 (5.4 percent) in the year ended July 2019 compared with the previous year. Visitors who spent 8 to 14 days in New Zealand increased 48,600 (4.5 percent) over the same period. Visitors who spent 1 to 3 days in New Zealand fell by 21,300 (3.2 percent).
New Zealanders arrived home from 3.1 million trips overseas in the year ended July 2019. Of these, 1.3 million were from Australia, up 38,800 (3.2 percent). The next largest increases in New Zealand-resident traveller arrivals were from: Indonesia – up 20,500 (37 percent) to 75,800 and China – up 14,800 (12 percent) to 140,700.
