‘Very strong’ summer ahead for South Island tourist operators
Monday, 18 December 2023
Tourism operators in the South Island are hopeful and ready for a busy summer, with some saying they are fully booked for the upcoming holiday period, and getting closer to pre-Covid levels.
“We are forecasting a very strong peak summer,” Kaiteriteri Recreation Reserve marketing manager Logan Van de Geest said.
The reserve - which operates a campground, cabins and premium apartments - is the main gateway for people visiting the Abel Tasman National Park, the most visited national park in New Zealand.
“After we released spots for the Christmas and new year period in May, they were completely booked within approximately 24 hours.”
Kiwis made up 73% of visitors at the reserve this year, and this summer most of them would be travelling from Canterbury, Van de Geest said.
Before the pandemic, over the same period in 2019, 64.5% of visitors to the reserve were domestic travellers, and 35.5% were from overseas.
“International visitors' numbers continue to bounce back, and will be key to our recovery throughout February to April,” Van de Geest said.
The positive outlook is shared by other tourism operators throughout the South Island.
Darin Rainbird, who has worked in the tourism industry for 25 years, said the upcoming holiday period was “traditionally quieter” in Christchurch, with locals travelling elsewhere for their summer breaks.
But he was “looking forward to having a really productive year ahead”, having just opened a pop-up visitor centre in central Christchurch and progressing plans to open The Grand - a new hospitality complex in Cathedral Square - in 2024.
From late January to early April, visitor numbers in downtown Christchurch were expected to “triple at least”, he said.
“[Tourism is already] over 80% to the pre-Covid level… With increased international airline connections direct to Otautahi Christchurch, we are expecting a healthy season ahead.”
More than 80 cruise ships were also scheduled to dock at Lyttelton this summer, 13 more than last season.
Outside of Christchurch, Akaroa would be “extremely busy” with domestic travellers over the Christmas period specifically, said Rainbird, who also operates the i-Site in the Banks Peninsula village. Traditionally, Kiwis also headed to Kaikōura, Hanmer Springs, the Marlborough Sounds, the West Coast and the Queenstown Lakes district at this time of year.
“Domestic tourism over this period is very much a sun-lust type of tourism. They go to one destination and enjoy the seasonal benefits and relax.
“The international travellers are predominantly wanderlust visitors, travelling to multiple destinations to enjoy experiences and complete bucket lists,” Rainbird said.
Christchurch was “probably more of a wanderlust destination” for travellers wanting to experience as much as possible.
The Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment’s latest tourism report noted airline capacity was now 90% of pre-pandemic levels, boosting the number of international visitors coming to New Zealand.
International tourism spending in October 2023 ($627 million) was up 3% compared to October last year. International visitors spent $33m on retail sales of alcohol, food, and beverages alone.
“Overall international holiday visitation is strong, and tourism is contributing significantly to our economy,” Tourism New Zealand chief executive René de Monchy said.
In September, New Zealand welcomed 105,912 international visitors - 84.6% of pre-Covid numbers.
Most were from Australia, China and the United States.
“We are also seeing international visitors spend around 18% more than pre-Covid, with length of stay on par with 2019 and strong off-peak arrivals.
“This shows our strategy to attract value over volume is working,” de Monchy said.
Tourism New Zealand was working to attract higher end tourists, who spent more, stayed longer, visited multiple regions and travelled here throughout the year, not just at peak times.
Meanwhile, Jetstar recently announced a significant boost to its New Zealand network, adding nearly 150,000 more seats across its domestic and Trans-Tasman routes in 2024.
The capacity increase came as the airline geared up for its busiest Christmas and new year period in New Zealand since 2019, according to head of Jetstar New Zealand Shelley Musk.
More than 180,000 people were expected to fly with the low-cost carrier these holidays, up 5% compared to the same period last year.
The single biggest day of travel would be this Saturday, December 23, and the airline’s most popular domestic route over the holidays would be Auckland to Christchurch.