A 3.4 percent drop in international guest nights contributed to a quiet month for short-term commercial accommodation in July 2018, Stats NZ said.
Total guest nights were relatively unchanged in July 2018, up 0.1 percent from July 2017. A 2.4 percent increase in the number of nights Kiwis spent in accommodation only just offset a 3.4 percent fall in international nights.
“This July’s decrease in international guest nights follows July peaks in both 2017 and 2016. The increase in July 2017 had coincided with the tail end of the Lions tour,” accommodation statistics manager Melissa McKenzie said.
In annual terms, international guest nights are still up. In the 12 months to July 2018, international guests spent 17.5 million nights in accommodation (up 3.5 percent from the July 2017 year), while domestic guests spent 22.4 million nights (up 1.4 percent).
Guests spent a total of 39.9 million nights in short-term commercial accommodation, up 2.3 percent from the July 2017 year.
The accommodation survey collects data for guests staying in short-term commercial accommodation such as hotels, motels, backpackers, and holiday parks. Hosted and private accommodation, such as bed and breakfasts and holiday homes, are excluded.
