Variable Description
This is the passenger's main reason for travelling to or from New Zealand. (Collected for sampled overseas visitor and NZ-resident arrivals). Before November 2018, the travel purpose of New Zealand-resident travellers was based on departure card responses. From November 2018, they are based on arrival card responses. This may result in different travel purpose patterns.
Variable notes
Purpose "other" includes older categories which no longer exist, such as: temporary work/working holiday, performing in arts, sport, and entertainment, stopover/in transit, evacuees, naval ratings, and officials.
"Education/medical" purpose was collected from August 1999. From January 2005, this category became solely "education".
Purpose for visitor arrivals and resident departures in May and June 1975 are estimates.
Before April 1970, "holiday/vacation" and 'visit friends/relatives" are combined in the "holiday/vacation" purpose.
From 1971, "officials" are included in "business". Before 1971, they were included in "other".
From November 2018 to December 2019, the travel purposes of holiday/vacation, visiting friends/relatives, and conference/convention were unavailable for New Zealand-resident travellers. From January 2020, these travel purpose categories are separately available from a redesigned arrival card and excluded from the 'Other' category.
Some passengers note more than one purpose on their arrival card, in which case they are assigned to a single purpose based on the following priority order: 1. Conference/convention 2. Business 3. Education 4. Visiting friends/relatives 5. Holiday 6. Other
