A record number of overseas visitor arrivals that was boosted by the continuing influx of our Ozzie cousins helped make January's guest night stats the highest recorded of any month since 1996.
Overall, total guest nights in in January 2010 were up 4 percent compared with January 2009. This is great news and will allow many operators to fill the tank and look to the future with some optimism.
The South Island continues to out perform the North Island by achieving a 5 percent gain in guest nights, compared to the North Island's 4 percent increase.
Eleven of the 12 regions recorded more guest nights in January 2010 compared with January 2009.
- Waikato, up 10 percent
- Canterbury, up 5 percent
- Nelson/Marlborough/Tasman, up 8 percent
- Wellington, up 10 percent.
International visitor guest nights in January 2010 contributed the most to the overall guest night improvement with an increase of 8 percent compared with January 2009.
Domestic guest nights enjoyed a more modest increase of 2 percent from January 2009.
It was pleasing that all four accommodation types had more guest nights than in January 2009:
- hotels, up 80,000 (8 percent)
- holiday parks, up 51,000 (3 percent)
- motels, up 30,000 (3 percent)
- backpackers, up 26,000 (5 percent).
Excluding holiday parks, the occupancy rate in January 2010 was 57 percent, compared with 56 percent in January 2009. Accommodation capacity, excluding holiday parks, was 2 percent above the January 2009 level.
The motel sector can be reasonably pleased with gaining guest nights, however must seriously contemplate what could have been? There has been some subtle guest movement between sectors and we are left to wonder what percentage of the gains from both the holiday park and hotel sectors may have been lost from the motel sector?
Source: HERE
