Accommodation Survey: March 2009

Change in the timing of Easter

In 2008, the Easter holidays fell in late March, while in 2009 the Easter holidays were in the middle of April. This factor should be noted when comparing the figures for March 2009 with those for March 2008. The impact on the data of this change in timing cannot be quantified.

Total guest nights

Total guest nights in short-term commercial accommodation were 3.2 million in March 2009, an 11 percent decrease compared with March 2008 and a 5 percent decrease compared with March 2007.

Total guest nights for the March 2009 year were 32.1 million, 4 percent lower than for the March 2008 year.

The trend in total guest nights has been decreasing since October 2007. The trend level is now 5 percent lower than the peak in October 2007, but is still 1 percent higher than the previous low point in January 2006.

Guest nights by island

Guest nights in the North Island were 1.8 million in March 2009, a 9 percent decrease compared with March 2008 and a 6 percent decrease compared with March 2007. In the March 2009 year, guest nights in the North Island were 3 percent lower than in the March 2008 year.

The trend for North Island guest nights has been decreasing since October 2007. The trend level is now 5 percent lower than the October 2007 peak, but is still 2 percent higher than the previous low point in January 2006.

Guest nights in the South Island were 1.4 million in March 2009, a 12 percent decrease compared with March 2008 and a 3 percent decrease compared with March 2007. In the March 2009 year, guest nights in the South Island were 4 percent lower than in the March 2008 year.

The trend for South Island guest nights has been decreasing since September 2007, and is now 6 percent lower than the September 2007 peak.

Guest nights by region

In March 2009, all 12 regions recorded fewer guest nights than in March 2008, with the following regions showing the largest decreases:

• Canterbury (down 64,000 or 11 percent)
• Otago (down 60,000 or 13 percent)
• Bay of Plenty (down 49,000 or 15 percent).

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In the March 2009 year, 11 of the 12 regions recorded fewer guest nights than in the March 2008 year. The largest decreases were:

• Otago, down 260,000 (6 percent)
• Bay of Plenty, down 254,000 (8 percent)
• Northland, down 155,000 (9 percent)

Wellington was the only region with more guest nights (up 12,000 or less than 1 percent).

Comparison with short-term overseas visitor arrival statistics

International Travel and Migration : March 2009 shows that short-term overseas visitor arrivals to New Zealand in March 2009 were down 24,300 (10 percent) from March 2008. This follows a decrease of 24,000 (9 percent) in February 2009 compared with February 2008.

There were fewer visitors on holiday (down 17,000 or 13 percent) in March 2009 compared with March 2008, and there were fewer visiting friends and relatives (down 5,500 or 7 percent). By contrast, there were more visitors on business (up 300 or 1 percent).

New Zealand resident short-term departures for March 2009 were down 8,100 (6 percent) from March 2008. This follows a decrease of 11,200 (10 percent) in February 2009 compared with February 2008.

Origin of guests

International visitors contributed 1.6 million guest nights in March 2009, down 197,000 (11 percent) from March 2008. All of the 12 regions showed decreases in international guest nights, with the largest decreases recorded in:

• Auckland (down 47,000 or 15 percent)
• Otago (down 33,000 or 12 percent)
• Wellington (down 24,000 or 20 percent). 

 

In March 2009, domestic guest nights were 1.7 million, down 190,000 (10 percent) from March 2008. Ten of the 12 regions showed decreases in domestic guest nights, led by:

• Canterbury (down 52,000 or 17 percent)
• Bay of Plenty (down 31,000 or 17 percent)
• Otago (down 27,000 or 14 percent)

The Auckland region showed the largest increase in domestic guest nights, (up 16,000 or 6 percent), followed by Southland (up 3,000 or 8 percent).

In March 2009, there was a response rate of 71 percent to the Accommodation Survey question on 'origin of guests'. In March 2008, the response rate was 67 percent. Figures for those establishments that failed to respond have been imputed and such high levels of imputation can affect data quality, including comparisons between different months.

Guest nights by accommodation type

In March 2009, guest nights decreased for all five accommodation types compared with March 2008. The accommodation types showing the largest decreases were:

• Caravan parks/camping grounds, down 183,000 (24 percent)
• Motels, down 121,000 (10 percent)
• Hotels, down 54,000 (5 percent).

In March 2009, hotels had the largest share of total guest nights (33 percent), followed by motels (32 percent) and caravan parks/camping grounds (18 percent).

In the March 2009 year, three of the five accommodation types had fewer guest nights than in the March 2008 year, led by:

• Motels, down 769,000 (7 percent)
• Caravan parks/camping grounds, down 447,000 (7 percent).

Occupancy rate

In March 2009, the occupancy rate, excluding caravan parks/camping grounds, was 59 percent, compared with 62 percent in March 2008. This is the lowest occupancy rate in a March month since March 2000.

Hotels had the highest occupancy rate (64 percent) of all the accommodation types in March 2009, followed by motels (59 percent) and backpackers/hostels (55 percent).

Excluding the caravan parks/camping grounds category, 11 of the 12 regions had lower occupancy rates in March 2009 than in March 2008. Waikato (52 percent), was the only region to record an occupancy rate higher than in March 2008.

Wellington and Auckland had the highest occupancy rates (each at 68 percent), followed by Otago (61 percent).

 

 

Response rates