Media release

18 January 2012

Auckland Sustains Strong Growth In Guest Nights

Auckland continues its trend of strong visitation with guest nights up 11 per cent in November 2012 compared to the previous year, according to the latest results from Statistics New Zealand’s Commercial Accommodation Monitor.

Domestic guest nights leaped 25.5 per cent in November off the back of Auckland’s inaugural domestic tourism campaign – led by ATEED (Auckland Tourism, Events and Economic Development) – as well as a strong events month.

During November several major events, including Mary Poppins and the Coldplay and Radiohead concerts, helped to draw domestic visitors to Auckland.

For the year end November 2012 Auckland’s total guest nights – both domestic and international – were up 3.4 per cent on the previous year, bucking the national trend of a 1.9 per cent decline.

ATEED Acting General Manager Destination Jason Hill says it is excellent to see Auckland’s healthy visitation leading into the busy summer season.

“This follows a very strong September and October and sets us up well for the remainder of summer when Auckland is alive with multiple events alongside the diverse range of experiences that attract visitors to our region,” says Mr Hill.

Added to this, Auckland has just been named the top destination for bookings made on the popular travel website wotif.co.nz for the third consecutive year.

Auckland’s Waiheke Island has also been listed in the New York Times 46 Places to Go in 2013. The iconic newspaper described Waiheke Island as a must-see, sitting alongside destinations including Paris, Bangkok and Casablanca.

Auckland’s strong visitation figures will help to support ATEED’s work to grow the overall visitor economy in line with the targets in its 10-year Auckland Visitor Plan.

ATEED – on behalf of Auckland Council – aims to double the contribution from the visitor economy over the next 10 years, growing it from $3.33 billion in 2010 to $6 billion in 2021.

--
Notes to editors:
ATEED (Auckland Tourism, Events and Economic Development) is Auckland’s economic growth agency.

ENDS

© Scoop Media

Denniston Announcement: Coal Mine Gains Access Approval

Conservation Minister Dr Nick Smith today announced his approval under the Crown Minerals Act for an access agreement for Bathurst Resources for its Escarpment Mining Project on the Denniston Plateau, near Westport.

“This approval is for an open-cast mine on 106 hectares of the 2026 hectares that comprise the Denniston Plateau. This area is not National Park, nor Conservation Park nor does it have any particular reserve status...

“The loss of conservation values is compensated by a $22 million package by Bathurst Resources. This will fund pest and predator control over 25,000 hectares of the Heaphy River catchment in the Kahurangi National Park, 4,500 hectares on and around the Denniston Plateau, as well as for historic projects on the Plateau itself. This is More>>