NZ guest nights push higher in September

Monday 12th November 2018

New Zealand guest nights pushed higher in September, spurred by a lift in both domestic and international tourism numbers.

There were 2.7 million guest nights in hotels, motels, holiday parks and backpackers in September, up 2.9 percent compared to September 2017, Statistics New Zealand said. Hotels were the most popular, up 2.2 percent to 1.1 million. Motels lifted 3 percent to 917,000. Backpacker hostels and holiday parks also posted rises.

The data doesn't include private accommodation, which covers bed and breakfasts, holiday homes and Airbnb rentals.

Tourism continues to be a key factor underpinning the economy, with annual tourism arrivals hitting a record 3.8 million in the year to the end of September. Last week the government released a draft tourism strategy that largely concentrates on how to cope with an increasing number of tourists. Possible solutions include focusing on higher value tourists, encouraging them to visit lesser-known regions and to travel in off-peak seasons, and investing in emerging and embryonic tourist destinations to help them cope with growth.

Within the regions, Auckland guest nights rose 6.1 percent to 585,000 while Otago guest nights lifted 3.8 percent to 439,000. Wellington guest nights lifted 6.6 percent to 253,000 while Canterbury guest nights rose 2.7 percent to 371,000.

There were 1.7 million domestic guest nights in September, up 3.8 percent from a year earlier. International guest nights at 1.0 million were up 1.5 percent.

The occupancy rate across accommodation types lifted 0.1 of a percentage point in September to 38.6 percent. Hotel occupancy was the highest while holiday parks were the lowest.

In the year to Sept. 30, there were 40.1 million guest nights in hotels, motels, holiday parks and backpackers, a fresh record and 2.7 percent more than a year earlier.

Annual guest nights exceeded 30 million in the year ended July 2004, Stats NZ said.

“Since guest nights reached 30 million 14 years ago, hotels have led the growth, accounting for more than a third of all guest nights in 2018,” accommodation statistics manager Melissa McKenzie said.

(BusinessDesk)

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