Growing Numbers of International Visitors to New Zealand
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Wellington, Dec 13 (NationPress) In October 2024, New Zealand experienced a total of 240,200 overseas visitor arrivals, reflecting a rise of 14,200 compared to October 2023, with significant increases noted from Australia, the United States, Singapore, and Britain, as reported by the statistics agency Stats NZ on Friday.
The total number of overseas visitors in October 2024 reached 85 percent of the 283,800 visitors recorded in October 2019, prior to the Covid-19 pandemic, according to Stats NZ.
Among the 240,200 overseas visitor arrivals in October 2024, 46 percent hailed from Australia, 9 percent from the United States, 7 percent from China, 5 percent from Britain, 3 percent from India, and another 3 percent from Germany, according to the statistics.
For the year ending October 2024, New Zealand recorded a total of 3.25 million overseas visitor arrivals, an increase of 413,000 from the previous year, with notable growth in arrivals from China, Australia, the United States, South Korea, and Japan, as reported by Stats NZ and Xinhua news agency.
Residents of New Zealand also saw an increase, with 2.97 million traveller arrivals in the year ending October 2024, up by 383,000 from the previous year.
In terms of border activity, there were 1.07 million border crossings in October 2024, consisting of 569,900 arrivals and 504,400 departures. This is an increase from 1.02 million border crossings in October 2023. Notably, the October 2024 crossings represented 92 percent of the 1.17 million crossings recorded in October 2019, prior to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Additionally, New Zealand has witnessed a significant increase in international student enrolments, as indicated by recent statistics.
The international education sector in New Zealand is experiencing a robust recovery, as stated by Tertiary Education and Skills Minister Penny Simmonds earlier this month.
Between January and August 2024, the country recorded 73,535 enrolments, surpassing the total enrolments for the entire previous year in just two terms, according to Simmonds.
This surge in international student enrolments has greatly enriched New Zealand's campuses and provided a significant boost to the economy, creating jobs and benefiting local businesses and communities nationwide. It reflects the country's esteemed global reputation for high-quality education, she noted.
“International education is not merely about statistics; it's about fostering enduring global connections, encouraging innovation, and establishing New Zealand as a frontrunner in education and research,” the minister emphasized.
New Zealand's universities have reported a 14 percent annual increase in international student enrolments, while enrolments in schools have surged by 33 percent, with a remarkable 69 percent growth in primary school enrolments, as indicated by the statistics.
