More NZers travelling overseas

4 per cent more kiwis are traveling to Australia this year than in 2006.

More New Zealanders are being attracted by the lure of packing their bags and heading to the airport for an overseas trip.

The number leaving the country was up 7 per cent last month compared to March 2006.

A look around the travel websites shows the travel industry is in its usual autumn mode, trying to tempt kiwis who are feeling that first nip of cold weather, to travel to warmer climes.

Air New Zealand has today offered a hard-to-resist '2 for 1' deal, linked with May's Mother's Day, meaning internet customers can get 2 international fares for the price of one for travel in May.

House of Travel is offering a fare of $149 to Sydney one-way.

United Travel are featuring Fiji prominently on their website, promoting the pleasures of luxury and pampering in the tropics.

At Holiday Shoppe you'll hear about the amazing package of a four-night holiday in tropical North Queensland - a destination becoming more and more popular with kiwi vacationers - for only $659 per person (share twin, of course!)

Many agencies are attracting theatre-goers with the fact that two huge shows are currently playing in Melbourne - Phantom of the Opera and Miss Saigon.

Figures published today by Statistics New Zealand (SNZ) show 132,400 resident departures last month, compared with 123,600 from a year earlier.

The number of trips to Australia were up by 4 per cent (2900), and those to China up by 800 (31 per cent).

Departures to New Caledonia jumped to 1000 from 200 in March 2006, coinciding with a promotional deal, SNZ said.

The number of departures for Fiji increased for the first time since September, rising 12 per cent (600).

For the year to March, departures were up 1 per cent (11,600) to 1.88 million, while visitor arrivals rose 3 per cent (66,300) to 2.45 million.

Compared to March 2006, visitor arrivals last month were up 5 per cent (12,200), taking the total to 239,200.

Numbers from Australia rose 9 per cent (6900), those from Britain were also up 9 per cent (2800), and those from China by 19 per cent (1400).

Japanese visitors were down 11 per cent (1600) to 13,200 -- the 21st consecutive month of declines when compared with the same month of the previous year, SNZ said.

Seasonally adjusted, between February and March, overseas trips by New Zealand residents were up 1 per cent while visitor arrivals were down 1 per cent.

Permanent and long term (PLT) arrivals exceeded departures by 600, seasonally adjusted, between February and March.

In actual terms, New Zealand had a net loss of 1040 people from PLT migration last month, compared with a balance of near zero a year earlier.

For the year to March there was a net PLT gain of 12,100, up from a gain of 9700 in the March 2006 year.

Annual net PLT migration had reached 14,800 in the year to the end of November, but had since eased, SNZ said.

- NZPA