KEY POINTS:
The number of overseas visitors arriving in this country dropped sharply in April, with the timing of Easter appearing to be a major factor in the fall.
Figures out today from Statistics New Zealand show 179,400 visitor arrivals last month, down 13,800 or 7 per cent from April 2007.
Part of the decrease was due to the Easter holidays being in March this year, rather than in April as they were last year, SNZ said.
When March and April arrival numbers were combined, the total of 430,200 arrivals was down by 2200 or 1 per cent from the same two months in 2007.
While visitor arrivals declined, the estimated average number of visitors in this country each day was up 2 per cent to 143,800.
That was due to more visitor arrivals in preceding months and an increase in the average length of stay, with visitors who arrived last month intending to stay an average of 19 days, from 17 days in April 2007.
Visitor arrivals from Australia were down by 4400 or 6 per cent last month when compared with April 2007. Numbers from the United States were down 3500 or 20 per cent and from Britain they were down 2100 or 11 per cent.
For the year to the end of April, there were 2.48 million visitor arrivals, up 36,400 or 1 per cent from the previous year.
New Zealand residents departed on 164,300 short-term trips overseas last month, up 600 from April 2007.
There were 2300 more departures to countries in Asia and 1700 more to Europe, but 3100 fewer to Australia.
In the year, New Zealand residents departed on 2m overseas trips, up 116,800 or 6 per cent from the April 2007 year.
- NZPA
