Most travelled Pacific people

Last year, about 13,000 Cook Islands residents left the country and came back. Given that the latest census figures peg the population of Rarotonga at about 13,000, that is a fairly staggering statistic.

Finance minister Mark Brown shared that figure with Pacific journalists at a workshop on Saturday morning, adding that the tendency of Cook Islanders to travel indicates their country’s stable economic condition.

”Cook Islanders also love to travel – I didn’t realise how (much),“ Brown said. ”Last year 13,000 went on a trip and came back – that’s quite incredible, as our resident population (of Rarotonga) is around there. On average everyone travels and that’s probably one of the highest percentages of travel of any country in the world that I can think of.“

Of those travellers, more than half left the country to visit with friends or family overseas. Just under 3000 went for holiday and 1300 travelled on business, and about 50 left to pursue educational opportunities.

Brown added that often dance teams, sports teams and community groups coordinate their travel and fly en masse.

Last year’s travellers fall into two categories – between the ages of 45 and 60, or between the ages of zero and 13. The inference, Brown said, is that older people are travelling with their children or grandchildren in tow.

That Cook Islanders are such prolific travellers indicates a healthy economy at home, Brown said.

”That (travel statistic) tells me we have a population here that has some pretty good discretionary income to be able to get on a plane and go travel.“