Room occupancy suffers April downturn

Total guest nights in short term commercial accommodation were down 2 per cent in April compared with the same month last year, due in part to the timing of Easter this year.

Statistics New Zealand (SNZ) figures showed there were a total of 2.6 million guest nights in April but it said the timing of Easter this year which fell in March rather than April was contributed to the decrease.

SNZ said because of the Easter factor it was more appropriate to compare figures for the two months ended April. On that basis, total guest nights were up 5 per cent compared with the same period last year.

International guest nights in April at 1.2 million were up 2 per cent on the same month a year ago with a visitors from the United Kingdom and Ireland being the fastest increasing group, up 6 per cent, followed by visitors from other parts of Europe -- up 9 per cent and those from North America -- up 6 per cent.

Visitors from Australia fell by 6 per cent and domestic guests at 1.5 million were down 5 per cent with SNZ again citing the timing of Easter as a factor in both decreases.

During April, guest nights in the North Island were flat compared to a year earlier but in the South Island they were down five per cent.

However, looking at combined figures for March and April, North Island guest nights were up 6 per cent while those in the South Island were up 4 per cent.

Hotels and backpackers hostels were the only two of five accommodation types to experience a rise in guest nights during the April month but on a two-month basis, all five recorded increases with a 9 per cent rise in guest nights at caravan parks and camping grounds leading the way.

- NZPA