Subdued growth in guest nights as Kiwis head overseas
Subdued growth in guest nights as Kiwis head overseas – Media release
20 March 2017
National guest nights this January had a modest increase of 1.1 percent on January 2016, Stats NZ said today. International guest nights hit a record 2 million, up 6.9 percent on January 2016. This rise offset the drop in domestic guest nights, which fell 2.7 percent.
"The decline in domestic guest nights this January coincided with greater numbers of Kiwis travelling overseas for their holidays," business indicators senior manager Neil Kelly said.
Hotels had a 1.7 percent fall in total guest nights. While they accommodated more international visitors, the rise failed to offset the fall in domestic guest nights.
Similarly the drop in domestic guest nights drove falls in the Auckland and Wellington regions. In Canterbury the fall was driven by a 61 percent fall in guest nights in Kaikōura. The number of accommodation providers open in Kaikōura increased in January from December, but was still 40 percent below January 2016.
The Accommodation Survey collects data for guests staying in commercial hotels, motels, backpacker accommodation, and holiday parks in New Zealand each month. Private accommodation is excluded.
See also:
• Accommodation Survey: January 2017 for
more information on monthly accommodation
statistics
• International Travel and Migration for
resident departure and visitor arrival
numbers.
Delay to the release
Due to the 14 November 2016 earthquake, we delayed this release from its scheduled date of 10 March 2017. The delay ensures the information is produced to its usual quality level. We are releasing February 2017 results on 12 April 2017, as originally scheduled.
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