Total guest nights in short-term commercial accommodation were down 1.2 percent from a year earlier to 2.2 million in September.Statistics New Zealand (SNZ) figures published today show the Taranaki/Manawatu-Wanganui area was hardest hit with a fall of 19
Total guest nights in short-term commercial accommodation were down 1.2 percent from a year earlier to 2.2 million in September.
Statistics New Zealand (SNZ) figures published today show the Taranaki/Manawatu-Wanganui area was hardest hit with a fall of 19,000 or 12.2 percent from a year earlier, with Waikato down 16,000 or 8.6 percent and West Coast down 9000 or 12.4 percent.
In contrast Auckland was proving attractive, particularly to domestic visitors, with a rise of 25,000 or 6 percent.
Canterbury, which was hit by an earthquake early in the month, recorded a small rise in guest nights of 1000 or 0.2 percent. International guest nights in the region fell 14,000 but that was countered by a rise of 15,000 in domestic guest nights.
The rise in domestic nights tied in with anecdotal evidence that many people needed accommodation in town for various earthquake-related reasons, SNZ said.
International guest nights for the country as a whole fell 1.8 percent or 15,000 from a year ago to 800,000, although they were up from 43,000 or 5.6 percent from September 2008.
Northland had 6000 or 15.5 percent fewer international guest nights, while Otago picked up 9000 or 5.2 percent.
Domestic guest nights fell 12,000 or 0.9 percent from a year ago to 1.4m, and were also 6000 or 0.4 percent lower than two years ago.
While Taranaki/Manawatu-Wanganui had 17,000 or 12.6 percent fewer domestic guest nights, and Waikato was down 10,000 or 7.3 percent, Auckland gained 24,000 or 10 percent.
Holiday parks accounted for 33,000 or 10.3 percent fewer guest nights in September, compared to a year earlier, while backpackers accommodation was down 21,000 or 7.2 percent, and motels were down 21,000 or 2.7 percent. Hotels were up 48,000 or 5.9 percent.
