Overseas visitors drove growth in guest nights in September, thanks to the draw card of the Rugby World Cup, while changes to the timing of school holidays kept locals at home.
Total guest nights rose 0.3 per cent in September, according to Statistics New Zealand. International guest night surged 21 per cent while domestic declined 12 per cent, the figures show.
The figures are for a month in which short-term visitors rose 26 per cent, according to government figures.
School holidays were shifted to October this year to coincide with the rugby tournament final. The largest decline was in Canterbury, reflecting the loss of accommodation capacity in Christchurch since the earthquakes and the subsequent loss of any RWC games in the city after the stadium was damaged.
There were 1 million guest nights from international visitors in September, which was the first month the total had increased since the Canterbury earthquakes began in September last year. International guest nights jumped 50 per cent in the North Island and fell 7 per cent in the South Island.
