WELLINGTON, Dec 2 (NNN-AGENCIES) – New Zealanders’ overseas spending, in the Sept, 2020 quarter, fell almost 1.7 billion NZ dollars (1.2 billion U.S. dollars), or 84 percent, compared with the same time last year, as travel slowed to a trickle because of COVID-19, Stats NZ said today.
Spending by New Zealand travellers and students, while overseas, was 324 million NZ dollars in the Sept, 2020 quarter, compared with nearly two billion NZ dollars this time last year. This includes spending on things like hotels, food, tuition fees, and rent (travel services imports), but excludes international airfares (which fall under transportation services).
“Normally, New Zealanders take more overseas trips at this time of year, to escape the winter, but this year the numbers are much lower than usual,” international statistics senior manager, Peter Dolan, said.
“This coincided with New Zealanders spending more at home, buying things like furniture and hardware.”
Meanwhile, New Zealand’s inbound tourism tumbled. Border restrictions are cutting a swathe through international visitor arrivals, which showed a record drop of 1.4 million from Apr to Sept, 2020. Overseas visitor arrivals were down by 253,200, to 8,600 in Sept, 2020, compared with Sept, 2019. The biggest changes were in arrivals from Australia (down 128,500) and China (down 27,300).
For the fiscal year that ended Mar, 2019, tourism generated 16.2 billion NZ dollars, or 5.8 percent of the country’s GDP. The indirect value, added from industries supporting tourism, generated an additional 11.2 billion NZ dollars, or four percent of GDP.
In the first six months of the year, New Zealand’s economy contracted 13.4 percent, as a result of the strict lockdown.– NNN-AGENCIES
