Figures released by Stats NZ show overseas visitor arrivals to New Zealand in December 2021 dropped by more than 75 per cent when compared to the same period in 2020.
A total of 207,000 overseas visitor arrivals crossed New Zealand’s border across the month compared to 789,000 recorded in December 2020.
Australia figures were down by 200,000, US and UK numbers fell by 120,000 and 88,000, respectively, while visitors from China fell by 57,000.
New Zealand-resident traveller arrivals in December also dropped, the stats showing a 26.5 percent drop from 539,000 in 2020 to 143,000.
The biggest changes were in arrivals from Australia (down 190,000), India (down 39,000), the US (down 37,000), and China (down 34,000).
Mike Parker-Brown is a UK-trained and qualified journalist and an award-winning travel communicator with more than 30 years experience.
Since 2002, Mike has worked as a freelance writer and PR consultant providing his services to major organisations in Australia and internationally in the tourism, aviation, hospitality, recruitment and export marketing sectors.
