Australian arrivals rebound to NZ

Australian arrivals rebound to NZ
By admin


Australian arrivals to New Zealand rebounded in January but the number of overall international visitors slipped, latest figures have shown.

Just over 101,100 Aussies crossed the Tasman, 2.2% higher than the same month last year, boosted by a 4.4% increase in holiday traffic to 44,336.

Business traffic climbed 9% to more than 9,000 while the number of people attending conferences and incentive trips soared 47%, albeit off a low base of 1,264.

But the visiting friends and relatives market, which has previously been in growth mode, dipped slightly, declining 1.8% to 40,720.

Tourism New Zealand Australia general manager Tim Burgess said the rise in holiday traffic was "exceptionally" good news.

"It is really pleasing to see holiday traffic leading the growth. It shows that the work we are doing and our message to consumers that NZ delivers inspiring holidays is working," he said. "January is our biggest month for arrivals so to see growth sets us up nicely for the year ahead."

Encouragingly, longer stay trips rose sharply, according to the government figures. Although stays of between eight and 14 days fell 1.7%, there was a healthy 15% rise in the number of travellers staying between two and three weeks.

Tourism New Zealand has long sought to encourage Australians to stay longer and, as a consequence, spend more which officials view as the most critical barometre of success.

Overall international arrivals in January declined from 267,000 to 260,600, a fall of 2.3%.

UK arrivals fell 8% to 27,500 with China down almost a fifth to 18,700. The US and Japan however showed strong growth, rising 17% to 24,300 and 9% to 7,100 respectively.

Latest News

  • Products

Embrace the journey: Traversing the world with the Shokz OpenRun

If you’ve been on the wrong side of a final call in the airport, or missed the stop on rail journey, it might be time to invest in a pair of Shokz OpenRun headphones. Originally marketed as headphones for fitness fanatics, runners or cyclists with a keen to steer clear of a prang with a car, […]

  • Tour Operators
  • Tourism

TTC: Deals are driving up demand for September trips

The latest market research from TTC Tour Brands shows interest in international leisure travel remains high for 2024, with 77 per cent of Australians over 18 still planning trips this year. Notably, 28 per cent of those travellers are eyeing September for their journeys. Europe continues to be the most popular destination, with 68 per […]

  • Aviation

Qantas ‘working urgently’ to fix app data leak

Qantas is looking into customer reports that passengers have this morning been able to access other passengers’ personal information on the airlines app. X user Lachlan posted that he was able log into different accounts every time he opened the app. My @Qantas app logs me in to a different person each time I open […]

  • Hotels

Revamped Wailoaloa Beach hotel opens as Crowne Plaza Fiji Nadi Bay Resort & Spa

Crowne Plaza Fiji Nadi Bay Resort & Spa is open and ready for bookings after the first phase of a multi-million-dollar transformation. Part of IHG Hotels & Resorts’ premium collection, the transformation has seen the completion of 106 guestrooms showcasing contemporary interiors reflective of the premium Crowne Plaza brand and is a first for the […]

  • Luxury
  • News

Kamalaya Koh Samui clinches clutch of wellness awards

Kamalaya Wellness Sanctuary & Holistic Spa has so far clinched five prestigious awards in 2024, including being inducted into the ‘Hall of Fame’ at the World Spa & Wellness Awards in London. Founders of the Koh Samui sanctuary and spa John and Karina Stewart expressed their heartfelt gratitude for the awards. “We are profoundly honoured […]