January guest nights at record high

Overnight stays in commercial accommodation were up 4 percent in January 2010 compared with the previous January, Statistics New Zealand said today. At 4.4 million, guest night numbers were the highest recorded since the survey began in July 1996. January is traditionally the peak month for guest nights.
In January 2010, international guest nights were 8 percent higher and domestic guest nights were 2 percent higher than in January 2009.
"Although there have been large increases in international guest nights this January," business statistics manager Kathy Connolly said, "to put this in context, the numbers are similar to those reached in January 2008."
Eleven of the 12 regions recorded more guest nights in January 2010 than in the previous January. Waikato, Canterbury, and Nelson/Marlborough/Tasman had the largest increases while Taranaki/Manawatu-Wanganui was the only region with fewer guest nights over the same period.
All four accommodation types had more guest nights in January 2010 with hotels and holiday parks showing the largest increases.
The Accommodation Survey records guests staying in hotels, motels, backpackers, and holiday parks in New Zealand each month.