Japanese visitors plummet

By Phil Boeyen, ShareChat Business News Editor

Wednesday 19th December 2001

The number of tourists visiting New Zealand fell 10% in November according to latest figures but the Japanese market dropped by nearly half.

Statistics New Zealand says the country had 164,600 short-term overseas visitor arrivals in November 2001, down 17,700 or 10% on the same month last year.

"This reflects the effects of the 11 September events in the United States and the collapse of Ansett Australia," Statistics NZ says.

The lucrative Japanese market fell by 9,300 visitors or 48%, followed by Taiwan down 1,500 or 36% and Singapore down 1,100 or 23%. The number of US visitors fell by 2,500 or 13%.

On the up side, the number of visitors from China rose 1,100 or 28%.

Visitor arrivals for the year ended November rose by 9% to 1.913 million compared with previously. There were more visitors from Australia, the United Kingdom, China and Korea, but fewer from the United States, down 10,400.

Permanent and long-term arrivals exceeded departures by 4,000, compared with a net gain of 800 in November 2000.

The number of New Zealanders coming back home to live was up 20% on last November, with most returning from Australia or the United Kingdom.

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