Guest nights fall on lower visitor numbers

Business slowed in September for most accommodation providers across the country with both international and local guest nights down.

According to the latest Statistics New Zealand data, nights stayed by overseas guests were down 4.7 per cent while domestic guest nights slipped by 0.3 per cent.

One reason for the fall is the fewer tourists in town to book hotel rooms. Short term visitors arriving in New Zealand fell 3.3 per cent in September from the previous month, with only 179,100 people entering the country temporarily.

Statistics New Zealand said unadjusted international guest nights fell in all 12 regions in September compared with a year earlier after the Rugby World Cup boosted international guest nights throughout most of the country in September 2011.

“We had fewer international guest nights, and domestic guest nights were also down slightly. Backpackers were the only accommodation type to have a rise in seasonally adjusted guest nights,’’ Statistics New Zealand industry and labour statistics manager Blair Cardno said. Backpacker stays rose 3.5 per cent.

According to the government data agency, the trend for national guest nights has generally been declining since December 2009. September’s 1.4 per cent overall dip in hotel, motel and holiday park guest nights nationwide comes after strong trading in August when a 2.6 per cent lift was seen.

In the North Island, there were 1.3 per cent fewer guest nights recorded than in August with a 21 per cent drop across Hawke’s Bay and Gisborne from a year earlier. In Auckland, guest nights slipped 3.8 per cent. The South Island saw 0.9 per cent fewer guest nights with drops in Otago and Southland.

- © Fairfax NZ News