International guest nights down in December

International guest nights fell 5.6 percent in December 2010 compared with December 2009, Statistics New Zealand said today. This fall was the main cause of the overall drop in guest nights of 2.4 percent. Domestic guest nights rose 0.3 percent.

Of the four accommodation types, the largest decreases in guest nights were for motels (down 4.8 percent) and holiday parks (down 4.9 percent). 

“Hotels had the only increase in December, mostly due to more domestic guest nights in Auckland,” business statistics manager Louise Holmes-Oliver said. “While motels, backpacker accommodation, and holiday parks often had fewer guest nights in 2010 than in 2009, hotels were up in every month, with 13 consecutive monthly increases.”

All regions except Auckland and Wellington had fewer guest nights in December 2010 than in December 2009. The main regional movements were:

• Bay of Plenty, down 27,000 (7.8 percent) 
• Auckland, up 25,000 (5.0 percent)
• Canterbury, down 18,000 (3.5 percent)
• West Coast, down 15,000 (11.1 percent).

For the 2010 year, total guest nights rose 0.7 percent compared with 2009. International and domestic guest nights rose, as did hotel guest nights, while motel, backpacker, and holiday park guest nights fell. Although there was an overall increase, only four of the 12 regions, led by Auckland, showed a rise.

The Accommodation Survey records guests staying in hotels, motels, backpacker accommodation, and holiday parks in New Zealand each month.

Geoff Bascand 10 February 2011

Government Statistician