We suggested in our post HERE that anecdotal evidence told us that the crucial months of December and January would be "softer" compared to previous years. The December figures just released confirms our predictions so far. This does not bode well for motel businesses fortifying themselves for the winter months ahead.
It is interesting that the motel's pain of losing 62,000 guest nights for December is not being shared by the caravan parks/camping sector that have managed to increase their market share for the year 2008.
I'm off to YouTube to search for another Jeremy Clarkson video of blowing up a caravan!
February 12 2009
The number of nights in short-term commercial accommodation fell 3 percent in December from a year earlier, while for 2008 as a whole the guest night total was similar to that in 2007.
For December 2008 there were 3.1 million guest nights, while for the whole of 2008 the total was 32.9 million, Statistics New Zealand (SNZ) said today.
The trend in total guest nights had been falling since October 2007, after rising from January 2006.
The trend level was now 4 percent lower than the peak in October 2007, but was still 3 percent higher than the previous low point in January 2006, SNZ said.
In December 2008, nine of 12 regions recorded fewer guest nights than a year earlier, with the largest decrease in Bay of Plenty which was down 25,000 guest nights or 7 percent.
Canterbury was down 20,000 or 4 percent, Northland down 19,000 or 9 percent and Otago down 17,000 or 4 percent.
The largest increase for the month was Waikato, with a rise of 15,000 or 5 percent.
For the year the largest regional increase was in Wellington, which rose 135,000 or 5 percent, while Canterbury rose 128,000 or 2 percent, and Auckland was up 98,000 or 2 percent.
International visitors accounted for 1.4m of the guest nights in December 2008, down 73,000 or 5 percent from a year earlier. Domestic guest nights fell 18,000 or 1 percent.
For the 2008 year, international guest nights were 42 percent of the total. Regions with the highest portion of international nights were West Coast with 61 percent, Otago with 57 percent, and Southland with 56 percent.
The region with the highest proportion of domestic guest nights in 2008 was Taranaki/Manawatu-Wanganui with 81 percent, followed by Hawke's Bay/Gisborne with 76 percent and Waikato with 72 percent.
Motels accounted for more than two-thirds of the fall in total guest nights during December, with a fall of 62,000 or 6 percent from a year earlier.
For the year, hotels recorded a rise of 383,000 or 4 percent in guest nights, while caravan parks/camping grounds rose 60,000 or 1 percent. Motels had the largest decrease for the year, down 448,000 or 4 percent.
For December 2008 there were 3.1 million guest nights, while for the whole of 2008 the total was 32.9 million, Statistics New Zealand (SNZ) said today.
The trend in total guest nights had been falling since October 2007, after rising from January 2006.
The trend level was now 4 percent lower than the peak in October 2007, but was still 3 percent higher than the previous low point in January 2006, SNZ said.
In December 2008, nine of 12 regions recorded fewer guest nights than a year earlier, with the largest decrease in Bay of Plenty which was down 25,000 guest nights or 7 percent.
Canterbury was down 20,000 or 4 percent, Northland down 19,000 or 9 percent and Otago down 17,000 or 4 percent.
The largest increase for the month was Waikato, with a rise of 15,000 or 5 percent.
For the year the largest regional increase was in Wellington, which rose 135,000 or 5 percent, while Canterbury rose 128,000 or 2 percent, and Auckland was up 98,000 or 2 percent.
International visitors accounted for 1.4m of the guest nights in December 2008, down 73,000 or 5 percent from a year earlier. Domestic guest nights fell 18,000 or 1 percent.
For the 2008 year, international guest nights were 42 percent of the total. Regions with the highest portion of international nights were West Coast with 61 percent, Otago with 57 percent, and Southland with 56 percent.
The region with the highest proportion of domestic guest nights in 2008 was Taranaki/Manawatu-Wanganui with 81 percent, followed by Hawke's Bay/Gisborne with 76 percent and Waikato with 72 percent.
Motels accounted for more than two-thirds of the fall in total guest nights during December, with a fall of 62,000 or 6 percent from a year earlier.
For the year, hotels recorded a rise of 383,000 or 4 percent in guest nights, while caravan parks/camping grounds rose 60,000 or 1 percent. Motels had the largest decrease for the year, down 448,000 or 4 percent.
Source: Click HERE
