[Mike W]

- Chinese down 33pc

This may have something to do with talk (elsewhere) about NZ's PEK loads.

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/aviation/n...ectid=10538859

11:41AM Wednesday Oct 22, 2008

The number of overseas visitors arriving for short stays fell 7 per cent last month from September 2007, Statistics New Zealand (SNZ) says.

Data released today showed a fall in arrivals of 11,100 to 157,700, making it the lowest September total since 2003.

Visitors numbers from China were down 2700 or 33 per cent, and from Australia down 2200 or 3 per cent.

Numbers from Korea dropped 2000 or 31 per cent, those from Japan were down 1800 or 22 per cent, and from the United States fell 1200 or 12 per cent.

Despite the fall, the estimated average number of visitors in this country per day last month, at 100,500, was up 4 per cent from the average of 96,300 in September 2007.

For the year to September, the 2.47 million visitor arrivals were down 6200 - less than 1 per cent - from the previous September year, SNZ said.

The number of New Zealand residents leaving on short term overseas trips also fell last month from a year earlier, dropping 16,400 or 8 per cent to 192,000.

... continues