(RTTNews) - New Zealand played host to less than 1 percent more international visitors in July 2009 than it did in July of 2008.

Statistics NZ reported Friday that short term visitor arrivals for last month totaled 176,000,200, an increase of just 500 from the previous July.

Visits from Australians jumped dramatically compared to the year before. Statistics NZ said there were 20 percent more visitors from Australia in July 2009 than in July 2008.

Visitors from Japan posted the largest decline, down 5,000 or 57 percent. Visits from Korea and China were also down significantly.

Visitor arrivals for the full year to July 2009 totaled 2.412 million, down 3 percent from the July 2008 year.

New Zealanders, meanwhile, departed on 2 percent fewer trips abroad in July than in the corresponding month last year.

Statistics NZ also said permanent long term arrivals exceeded permanent long term departures by 2,500 in July.

For the year to July 2009, New Zealand saw a net immigration gain of 14,500, up from the 5,200 in the July 2008 year.

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Posted in Categories: Australia, Economy, Japan, New Zealand, Releases.

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