Region bucks trend as more Kiwis visit

Wairarapa is continuing to buck the national trend with figures released this week showing the region had a significant increase in domestic visitors.

During September visitors from within New Zealand stayed an extra 2900 nights in the region, an increase of 21.3 per cent on the same month last year.

Destination Wairarapa general manager David Hancock described the results as "heartening" and said he was optimistic the increase could continue.

"It's very encouraging. The Wellington market continues to see the Wairarapa as a destination to get out of the city and enjoy our wine, our coast, the outdoors and our towns and villages," Mr Hancock said.

Mr Hancock also credited improvements in infrastructure as having a noticeable impact on the growth in domestic visitors. "It's getting easier to get to Wairarapa," he said. "The improvements to the Rimutaka Hill Rd have made a big difference. The road has been straightened out particularly on the Wellington side and that will encourage more people to come."

The statistics were collated and released by NZ's Commercial Accommodation Monitor. The increase sees the region bucking a national trend which saw national guest nights for September down 5.7 per cent on last year.

"After a long winter we've seen people returning to stay in the Wairarapa, which is a positive reflection of more stable weather and an action-packed calendar of events over the spring and summer period," said Mr Hancock.

September's statistics follow an encouraging period for August, when Wairarapa domestic guest nights were up 7.6 per cent on the same period in 2011.

Mr Hancock said the rise could also be put down to factors including Destination Wairarapa's presence at expos and trade shows.