Wellington, Dec 13 New Zealand's overseas visitor arrivals were 240,200 in October 2024, an increase of 14,200 from October 2023, with the biggest changes in arrivals from Australia, the United States, Singapore, and Britain, the statistics department Stats NZ said on Friday.
The total number of overseas visitor arrivals in October 2024 was 85 per cent of the 283,800 in October 2019, which was before the Covid-19 pandemic, Stats NZ said.
Of the 240,200 overseas visitor arrivals in October 2024, 46 per cent were from Australia, 9 per cent from the United States, 7 per cent from China, 5 per cent from Britain, 3 per cent from India, and 3 per cent from Germany, statistics show.
In terms of annual arrivals, New Zealand's overseas visitor arrivals were 3.25 million in the October 2024 year, an increase of 413,000 from the October 2023 year, with the biggest changes in arrivals from China, Australia, the United States, South Korea and Japan, Stats NZ said, Xinhua news agency reported.
New Zealand-resident traveller arrivals were 2.97 million in the October 2024 year, an increase of 383,000 from the October 2023 year, it said.
Regarding border crossings, there were 1.07 million border crossings in October 2024, made up of 569,900 arrivals and 504,400 departures. In October 2023, 1.02 million border crossings were recorded, Stats NZ said, adding New Zealand's October 2024 border crossings were 92 per cent of the 1.17 million in October 2019, before the Covid-19 pandemic.
New Zealand has seen a strong boost in international student enrolments, according to the latest statistics.
New Zealand's international education sector was rebounding strongly, Tertiary Education and Skills Minister Penny Simmonds said earlier this month.
The country saw 73,535 enrolments between January and August 2024, more enrolments achieved in just two terms this year than in all of last year, Simmonds said.
The strong growth in international student enrolments has enriched New Zealand campuses and significantly boosted the economy, contributing to jobs, local businesses, and communities nationwide, she said, adding it is a testament to the country's global reputation for high-quality education.
"International education is not just about numbers, it's about building lasting global connections, fostering innovation, and positioning New Zealand as a leader in education and research," the minister said.
New Zealand universities saw a 14 per cent increase in international student enrolments year on year, and school enrolments of international students rose 33 percent, with 69 percent surge in primary school enrolments, the statistics showed.
--IANS
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