Overseas visitor arrivals were 205,000 in the January 2022 year, down 386,000 from the January 2021 year. The biggest decreases were in arrivals from:
- United States (down 78,000)
- Australia (down 58,000)
- United Kingdom (down 54,000)
- Germany (down 22,000)
- Canada (down 20,000).
New Zealand-resident traveller arrivals were 148,000 in the January 2022 year, down 211,000 from the January 2021 year. The biggest decreases were in arrivals from:
- Australia (down 68,000)
- India (down 22,000)
- United States (down 17,000)
- China (down 15,000)
- Fiji (down 13,000).
The number of New Zealand-resident traveller arrivals from the Cook Islands was up 17,000 (to 26,800) in the January 2022 year, compared to the January 2021 year. The opening of quarantine-free travel from May to August 2021, and from mid-January 2022, drove the increase. However, levels are still well below the 107,800 arrivals in the January 2020 year, before the pandemic.
Monthly arrivals
Overseas visitor arrivals were 4,000 in the January 2022 month, down 1,400 from the January 2021 month. The biggest decreases were in arrivals from:
- Australia (down 500)
- Samoa (down 300)
- United States (down 200)
- United Kingdom (down 200).
The number of overseas visitor arrivals from Vanuatu was up 400 in January 2022, from nearly zero in January 2021. The increase coincided with arrivals under the Recognised Seasonal Employer programme.
Overseas visitor arrivals overall were down 2100 from December 2021 (6200).
New Zealand-resident traveller arrivals were 8,500 in the January 2022 month, up 4,900 from the January 2021 month. The biggest increases were in arrivals from:
- Cook Islands (up 1800)
- United Kingdom (up 600)
- United States (up 600)
- India (up 400).
The increase in arrivals from the Cook Islands coincides with the opening of quarantine-free travel in mid-January 2022.
New Zealand-resident traveller arrivals overall were up 4,100 from December 2021 (4,400).
Border crossing numbers down
There were 38,600 total border crossings in January 2022 (down from 41,800 in December 2021), made up of 15,900 arrivals and 22,700 departures. Compared with the previous month, arrivals were up 600, and departures down 3,700.
Provisional data for February 2022 shows a small increase in both arrivals and departures. This coincides with the re-opening of two-way quarantine-free travel between the Cook Islands and New Zealand on January 14, 2022.
Border crossings include all arrivals and departures, either for short-term trips or longer-term migration, by people living overseas or in New Zealand.
The New Zealand Government has announced its five-step plan for reopening the borders, beginning on February 28 2022.
Impact of COVID-19 on international travel
From January 2020, governments have imposed international travel restrictions in multiple countries, due to the spread of COVID-19 around the world. In March 2020, the New Zealand Government introduced further measures to protect New Zealanders from the COVID-19 virus, effectively limiting travel to New Zealand.
