Shorter stays with higher spending per visitor: that's a summary of recent domestic and international tourism trends.
Shorter stays with higher spending per visitor.
That’s the summary of both domestic and international trends in the Waikato for the financial year ended June 30, Hamilton and Waikato Tourism general manager Nicola Greenwell told Waipā’s Finance and Corporate committee this week.
Ōtorohanga and Waitomo are among five councils – including Waipā, Matamata-Piako and Waikato – to reduce its funding from July 1.
Waitomo reduced its funding by 60 per cent to $30,000 and Ōtorohanga by 50 per cent to $35,000.
Hamilton city with $716,000 was the only council to maintain its funding.
“The team remained committed to delivering our regular mahi ensuring we continue to build a visitor sector that provides economic, social and cultural wellbeing for our communities,” Greenwell said in her report.
It was the international sector which showed the most significant contrast. Despite a 14 per cent decline in guest nights, international visitor spending rose by 14 per cent.
International visitors to the region spent $123.6 million in the 11 months to May – a 22 per cent increase on the previous year.
Domestic guest nights across the region dipped slightly but spending surpassed the national average and was the fastest growing among central North Island regions. Waikato captured 7.3 per cent of the domestic visitor spending market across New Zealand spending $784 million in the 11 months to May.
