The table compares the main characteristics of people who visited New Zealand in September 2012 and September 2016, including their total number, travel purposes and age groups.
Overall, the total number of visitors increased considerably over the four-year period. Holidays remained the most common reason for travelling, while education and attending conferences were the least popular purposes. In terms of age, the 35-44 group was the largest in both years, whereas the number of visitors aged 65 and above experienced the most significant growth.
The total number of visitor arrivals rose substantially from 179,069 in 2012 to 245,089 in 2016. Regarding travel purposes, holidaymakers showed the greatest increase, climbing from 79,136 to 123,200. Similarly, visitors travelling to see friends and relatives grew from 56,112 to 69,776. Business and educational travel also increased moderately, while the figure for conferences and conventions rose only slightly from 6,160 to 6,640.
With regard to age groups, the number of visitors under 15 increased from 17,216 to 21,856. Likewise, the 35-44 age group rose from 30,720 to 40,192. The most noticeable growth was seen among people aged 65 and over, whose number increased significantly from 13,200 in 2012 to 20,384 in 2016.