The number of people visiting New Zealand rose slightly in February, boosted by friends and relatives of people affected by Christchurch's devastating earthquake.
Official figures show tourist numbers rose to 268,000 in February, a 0.2% rise on February 2010.
Statistics New Zealand says the numbers arriving for a holiday in New Zealand fell before and after the 6.3 magnitude quake on 22 February.
But it appears more people travelled to assist Cantabrians following the quake, with more than 2000 people visiting friends and relatives compared with the same month a year earlier.
Separately, a net 470 people migrated or returned to New Zealand in February, the smallest monthly gain in nine months.
