Tourists flock to holiday parks
Holiday parks are contributing more than $1 billion annually to the economy and international campervan travellers are proving the biggest spenders
Camping may be a traditional Kiwi activity, but research conducted for Holiday Parks New Zealand (HPNZ) found overseas visitors make up more than one third of all guests.
HPNZ chief executive Fergus Brown said the ease of booking online played a major part.
‘‘You can be sitting searching for accommodation in New Zealand when you are sitting in your apartment in New York and holiday parks come up as an option. Previously we weren’t even seen as an option.’’
Last summer, domestic guests opted for slightly shorter holidays and there was a drop in frequent visitors who had stayed in the same place at least 11 times.
Tents and caravans remain the most popular type of accommodation among Kiwi campers, but Brown said there were signs that caravan use was dropping as local camper van ownership increased.
‘‘The domestic market loves the idea of having a campervan they can park at home and shoot away for a long weekend, or just for one night.’’
Almost three quarters of overseas holiday parks guests stayed in campervans and they were the biggest spenders, dropping more than $200 a day each.
That compared with the average guest spend of $145 a night on accommodation, food, activities and goods ranging from jewellery to fishing equipment.
Brown said spending this summer was 5 per cent down on the previous year as a result of lower petrol prices and bad weather putting a damper on outdoor activities.
‘‘We believe it’s mainly because Kiwis are spending less on fuel, as the price of petrol has fallen since the previous period of research in 2014/15.
‘‘They also spent less on activities and attractions, probably because of our poor summer.’’
The economic benefits of holiday parks had a significant flowon effect to the community, he said.
‘‘Other indirect expenditure should also be taken into account, such as the dairy that employs an extra person over summer to cope with the business generated by holiday parks; the boating store that places additional radio advertising to attract purchases from holiday park visitors; or the local council that employs contractors to re-seal the public road leading to the holiday park.’’
Separate research carried out by Top 10 Holiday Parks has led to a rebranding of its parks into premium, superior and classic offerings.
Group chief executive David Ovendale said a survey of 1400 guests showed they wanted a clearer idea of what to expect before they arrived at parks, so they knew whether they had facilities such as heated swimming pools and wi-fi.
The new market segments would include parks catering for families wanting a safe, fun holiday with lots to do, Gen Y 20 to 25-year-olds travelling with friends, and active retirees wanting affordable comfort, he said. OPINION: Addiction is a silent and sometimes deadly disorder.
Drugs and alcohol are the obvious addictions that most of us are aware of. But it is possible to be addicted to a wide range of things, including gambling, sex, or food.
Employers can implement drug and alcohol testing regimes, particularly in areas of work involving public safety.
There has been recent publicity about an increasing number of white-collar jobseekers testing positive for methamphetamine.
The Drug Detection Agency reported that methamphetamine was the second most detected drug in 2016, making up about 13.4 per cent of all positive preemployment drug tests.
Cannabis, not surprisingly, accounted for 81.3 per cent of all positive tests.
The agency also said it had noticed an increase in positive tests in the public sector, the tourism sector, and the professional services sector.
New Zealand Drug Foundation executive director Ross Bell has encouraged employers to create a supportive environment, rather than subjecting workers or jobseekers to drug tests.
Bell astutely noted that drug testing can have a corrosive effect on trust between employers and their employees. He emphasised the primary importance of building trust, strong values and having a good culture and environment based around health and safety in the workplace.
Gambling addiction in the workplace has also gained attention lately. The Gisborne Herald reported that the manager of a gambling venue was convicted of the theft of about $35,000 of pokie takings, which he then gambled back into the machines.
New Zealand has a number of casinos, and many pokie machines. Gambling venues are supposed to train staff to recognise the signs of gambling harm and know how to help.
The unauthorised use of drugs and alcohol at work, or in circumstances where it affects an employee while at work, is likely to justify dismissal.
All the more so when the employee’s behaviour is significantly affected, where public safety is at risk, or where there is a negative effect on the employer’s business.
Many employers will have a code of conduct that defines such drug induced behaviour as serious misconduct, particularly in safetysensitive industries.
Regardless, an employer must, as always, carry out a proper investigation that provides the employee with the benefits of natural justice before reaching a decision that an employee is guilty of serious misconduct.
Many employers have a rehabilitation element in their employee assistance programme. Air New Zealand, which obviously has a concern for the safety of its passengers, has such a policy.
One case involved an Air New Zealand cargo worker who failed a drug test. It transpired that he had smoked cannabis at least once per day for the previous two years and ‘‘off and on all his adult life’’.