March 2004 IVS Data Release
Last updated:
April 2008
Media Statement
12 August 2004
The International Visitor Survey for the year ended March 2004 has been released today by the Ministry of Tourism.
International visitors to New Zealand spent $6.3 billion in the year to March 2004, up 1.9% from the previous March year. This represents a positive result given the difficult operating conditions experienced over the period, including SARS, the ongoing threat of terrorism and high relative exchange rates.
The Australian market was the best performer, with visitors from Australia spending $1.3 billion, up 32% from the previous year. This performance has been driven by a 16.5% increase in visitor numbers (stimulated by lower-priced trans-Tasman airfares and increased capacity) and by an increase in spend per visitor (up 9% to $1,924).
New Zealand’s second largest market, the United Kingdom, also performed strongly with visitor spending increasing by 9% to reach $946 million. The spend by New Zealand’s third largest spending market, Japan, decreased by 2% to $640 million reflecting the impact of SARS over the year.
Visitors from the USA spent $549 million in New Zealand in the year to March 2004, down 23%. This fall is associated with the high value of the New Zealand currency compared to the US$ and it is likely that the extra security arrangements for US-bound flights may have affected the IVS data collection process.
Expenditure from the Korean market has increased strongly - up by 80.5% to reach $626 million. This market has been volatile in recent years and it appears that this strong growth may be related to traveller dynamics over the SARs period where the survey captured relatively more long staying and high spending visitors.
Over the longer term, international tourism has demonstrated a strong and robust pattern of growth, with visitor expenditure having grown from $3.0 billion in the year ended March 1998 to $6.3 billion in the most recent period.
This equates to additional visitor expenditure of $545 million each year over the 1998-2004 period.
The IVS is a sample survey of 5000 departing international travellers that is conducted at Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch airports.
This release is the second under the new IVS survey methodology that was introduced in 2003. The new methodology has changed the characteristics of some of the IVS data, but the results are now certainly stabilising. Data for the year ended June 2004 is scheduled for release in October.
For further information please visit the Tourism Research Council New Zealand website (www.trcnz.govt.nz) or contact the Ministry of Tourism on 04 498 7440.
Contact:
Bruce Bassett
Research Manager
Ministry of Tourism Phone 04 498 7448
E-mail bruce.bassett@tourism.govt.nz
Web www.trcnz.govt.nz or www.tourism.govt.nz
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