Record numbers visit NZ

By SIMON HENDERY

The tourism industry is celebrating another year of record overseas visitor arrivals.

Despite a shaky start to 2003 with the Iraq war and Sars virus affecting international travel, arrivals for the full year were up 3 per cent, according to figures released by Statistics New Zealand yesterday.

The 3 per cent increase, to 2.11 million short-term arrivals, follows a 7 per cent increase in 2002.

Of the short-term visitors arriving in the country last year, 51 per cent said they were here on holiday, 27 per cent to visit friends and family and 10 per cent on business.

Last December was also a record-breaking month, up 12 per cent on December 2002.

The December jump was helped by strong competition between transtasman airlines. Arrivals from Australia - New Zealand's largest source of overseas visitors - were up 21 per cent on December 2002.

Air New Zealand introduced its lower-priced Tasman Express service at the start of November.

"We have seen great increases in air capacity on the transtasman routes over 2003, and it is pleasing this growth has confirmed we have the ability to fill these extra flights - and potentially more," Tourism New Zealand chief executive George Hickton said.

New Zealand's second and third largest tourism markets, the UK and US, also recorded strong growth during December and for the full year.

UK arrivals were up 17 per cent for the month and 12 per cent for the full year. US arrivals rose 10 per cent in December and were up 3 per cent for the year.

Arrivals from Japan, the next largest market, were down 13 per cent for the year. Tourism NZ is continuing a recovery marketing campaign in Japan.

Hickton said overall the tourism industry could be extremely proud of the year's figures.

"It's fair to say it has been one of the most testing years for the industry as a whole but we have managed to maintain our momentum and keep New Zealand up as one of the hot destinations internationally."