Queenstown Tourist numbers Soaring
By GRANT BRYANT – The Southland Times 14/4/2010
Queenstown is leading the way in reclaiming international visitor guest nights, Statistics New Zealand revealed this week.
The nights international visitors spent in accommodation in New Zealand slumped after hitting a high in early 2008 but have been climbing in the last six months.
The February accommodation survey recorded a nationwide increase in overseas visitor stays of 6 per cent compared with last February. Otago and Wellington had the largest increases, but a further breakdown of statistics revealed Queenstown was far ahead of the national average, with an increase of 17.8 per cent.
That means international visitors stayed 151,054 guest nights in February last year and 177,881 guest nights in February this year – an increase of 26,872.
The survey collated information gathered from hotels, motels and apartments, backpacker accommodation and holiday parks nationally.
Queenstown’s biggest rise was in motels and apartments, which recorded a rise of 11,966.
Queenstown Motel Association president Colin Chittock said the latest statistics were good news for Queenstown moteliers and accommodation providers, but also for the wider community.
“More visitors are good for us, and good for the town,” he said.
“The first months of last year were pretty average, but visitor numbers from the start of the year onwards have been pretty healthy.”
The increase in international visitors could be attributed to a lessening effect of the global economic crisis, and the strength of the Australian dollar, Mr Chittock said.
“There are a lot of Australians in town, but people from all over the globe seem to be here on holiday at the moment. All that matters is that they are here having a good time, and are frequently telling moteliers around Queenstown that this is one of the best holiday spots in the world,” he said.
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22/04/2010 at 7:36 pm
Our expirience is the same. A high number of Australians who come over year after year plus a small number of New Zealanders and English guests.