International tourist numbers up in hard-hit Coromandel

Fly fishing in the Karangahake Gorge. Photo / Destination Coromandel

Despite a mostly inclement summer closing main arterial routes and adding to the struggles of local businesses that rely heavily on tourism, the Coromandel region has bucked the trend with an autumnal revival of international visitors.

The increased visibility of offshore travellers reported by some tourism operators is reflected in retail spending statistics, which act as a barometer of economic prosperity.

The statistics based on electronic transactions produced by data supplier Marketview and released by Destination Hauraki Coromandel show the total number of international visitors per day to the region (measured daily at noon) for March 2023 averaging at 1635 per day, up from 129 in 2022, across 50,691 total March visitors.

The total International day visitors for February 2023 were 48,496 - also a rise from 2022′s figures.

Total domestic day visitors for March 2023 were up 5 per cent on March 2022. Conversely, total domestic day visitors for February 2023 were down 22 per cent on February 2022.

Lynette Dey from Destination Hauraki Coromandel said most foreign visitors are staying a minimum of two nights on the peninsula, taking in the scenic route of State Highway 25, and the “charm of diverse little towns where they can get a taste of the real New Zealand, 90 minutes from the [Auckland] airport”.

In a release, Destination Hauraki Coromandel said they had “recorded more than 1500 international visitors in our region at noon every day [in February] with operators reporting good representation from our most important offshore markets, Australia, US, UK and Europe”.

Regarding the total spend injected into the community by tourists, east coast towns Whitianga, northern Mercury Bay and Tairua, plus Coromandel and Colville were worst affected, but all towns were down. Paeroa and Waihī suffered the least negative impacts.

One shining light was the transport and travel services sector, which was up 25 per cent on the comparable period in 2022, most probably as a result of international visitors. The top-performing visitor market for spend was tourists from Germany. The largest category, retail, was the most negatively affected.

Hadley Dryden, general manager of Destination Hauraki Coromandel, was asked about the ongoing impacts on tourism should State Highway 25, which is promoted as the main route around the Coromandel, face restrictions or closure by further slips on the back of winter weather.

“Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency is monitoring approximately 50 significant slips along SH25. They’re also aware of a number of sites that will flood when river levels get too high. They have a number of steps in motion to keep the network open. If something was to happen to SH25 the priority will be safety, before responding to open the highway as soon as possible.”

“From a visitor destination perspective, the question depends on what the ‘if’ might be. But regardless, associated media coverage, the accuracy of information and clear communication will be crucial for the safety of locals and people visiting the region and the viability of the region as a visitor destination.”

Dryden said the outlook for next summer is undetermined: “[It’s] difficult to gauge given the varying impacts from global inflation, however at this stage we believe international visitor numbers will continue to climb, potentially to 80 per cent of pre-Covid numbers. The Coromandel should perform well with our traditional markets such as Australia, USA, UK and Europe forecast to return more quickly than other countries.”

“Winter will be tough regardless. Being our quietest time of the year, following on from a tough summer and SH25A remaining closed - businesses will be challenged. However, there’s a definite appeal to escape the cities, switch off and slow down over winter. Hauraki Coromandel in winter has an appeal for those who want to tap into those good-for-your-soul moments for a bit of wellness, so we’ll be welcoming visitors to enjoy some time out.”