NEW ZEALAND OVERSEAS TRAVEL
DOWN 2% IN APRIL 2006


Overseas travel by New Zealand residents increased by nearly 3,400 trips or 2% in the month of April 2006 (this followed the Easter affected 9% drop in March 2006). The April 2006 increase, though, was very much "VFR" influenced, with that segment of the market up 10% on April 2005, while departures for "holiday" and "business" travel fell by 1% and 6% respectively. In total, New Zealand overseas travel was recorded at 1.87 million in the year ended April 2006 - up by 74,191 departures or 4% - on the same twelve month period of the previous year. "Holiday" travel rose by 3% with departures for "VFR" and "business" reasons up 6% and 7% respectively.

By top ten "countries of main destination" (in the 2005 calendar year), New Zealand travel to Australia declined by 0.2% in the month under review, with departures to Fiji up 12% and to the United States down 10%. Travel to the United Kingdom grew by 9% in the month of April, with departures to China down 15% and to the Cook Islands and Thailand up 2% and 36% respectively. New Zealand travel to Samoa increased by 40% with departures to India up 23% and to Hong Kong down 4%.

New Zealand "holiday" travel to Australia, as "area of main destination", fell by 10% in the month of April 2006, with departures to Asia up 4% and to North America and Fiji down 13% and 4% respectively. Travel to Europe for "holiday" reasons increased by 36% in the month under review, with departures to the "other" South Pacific Islands up 30%. "Holiday" travel to the "other" Americas increased by 86% in April, with departures to Africa and the Middle East up 14%. Total overseas departures for "holiday" reasons were recorded at 799,912 in the year ended April 2006 - up 3% on the April year 2005.