Overseas visitor arrivals continue to pick up

Overseas visitor arrivals were 2.96 million in the December 2023 year, according to data released by Stats NZ today. This was up 1.52 million from the 2022 year.

By the end of 2023, overseas visitor arrival numbers were 79 percent of the pre-pandemic level.

Month201920222023
January3993464033268298
February4179345235268704
March37827028624266131
April30740954303221271
May21933172755160335
June21353694648178426
July255585134175213806
August251131129753206783
September261770151270224909
October283834161636225979
November372108232684303429
December528219364716418869

"Growth in overseas visitor numbers continued in 2023 following the progressive reopening of the border in March 2022," population indicators manager Tehseen Islam said.

"The year saw more international flights with Australia, the United States, and China. These countries drove the increase in overseas visitor arrivals in 2023."

By the end of 2023, visitor arrivals from Australia and the United States were 82 percent and 92 percent, respectively, of their pre-pandemic levels. Visitor arrivals from China were 53 percent of its pre-pandemic level.

Month-YearAustraliaUnited StatesUnited KingdomChinaIndiaTotal
Jan-20220.411.70.22.91
Feb-20220.80.41.20.131.3
Mar-202213.92.79.70.33.27.6
Apr-202232.4614.50.511.117.7
May-202251.722.152.73.38.333.2
Jun-202267.524.445.15.111.644.3
Jul-202276.142.1524.925.652.5
Aug-202276.343.251.44.821.951.7
Sep-202279.349.465.56.936.257.8
Oct-202272.263.265.78.446.456.9
Nov-202282.265.169.77.682.562.5
Dec-202286.265.885.812.969.569
Jan-202381.1102.573.511.368.567.2
Feb-202378.276.974.68.395.164.3
Mar-202381.278.678.617.7136.470.4
Apr-202380.681.260.430.7147.972
May-202378.377.765.230.713373.1
Jun-202388.982.363.647.3167.283.6
Jul-202378.816271.756.3157.883.7
Aug-202381.1121.374.653191.382.3
Sep-202388.880.874.969.3141.885.9
Oct-202378.190.672.458.4126.179.6
Nov-202384.297.171.451.7126.881.5
Dec-20238291.670.953.189.579.3

Overseas visitors are people living overseas who are in New Zealand for less than 12 months and include New Zealand and non-New Zealand citizens.

New Zealand-resident traveller arrival numbers lift

New Zealand-resident travellers returned from 2.68 million short-term (less than 12 months) overseas trips in the 2023 year, an increase of 1.36 million from the 2022 year.

Month201920222023
January3209458475240401
February1905978604160075
March19498930588161937
April24330264741210446
May23516990964203641
June257310105110212221
July340250165003288827
August284520172269241236
September279754170754254869
October326409206321311415
November233660177010226814
December194522127287171772

By the end of 2023, the number of New Zealand-resident traveller arrivals was 88 percent of the pre-pandemic level.

Australia was the main destination for 1.03 million New Zealand-resident arrivals, followed by Fiji (201,700), the United States (162,100), and the United Kingdom (113,100).

/Stats NZ Public Release. This material from the originating organization/author(s) might be of the point-in-time nature, and edited for clarity, style and length. Mirage.News does not take institutional positions or sides, and all views, positions, and conclusions expressed herein are solely those of the author(s).View in full here.