Guest nights up as weather cools

Rising tourism numbers continued into May with an extra 171,000 guest nights recorded for the month.

Commercial accommodation stays were up 7 per cent nationally, with domestic and international visitors contributing almost equally to the increase.

The Statistics New Zealand commercial accommodation survey showed Canterbury experienced the biggest increase, with an additional 25,000 guest nights.

There were also healthy rises in Bay of Plenty, Auckland and Northland, with the latter up 20 per cent on the previous May.

Statistics NZ spokeswoman Melissa Mckenzie said the Canterbury increase was driven by more stays in the Mckenzie District, and a recovery in Kaikoura where guest nights were down only slightly on the previous May.

She said that was a big improvement on the immediate post-earthquake period when commercial guest nights in Kaikoura dropped 30 to 80 per cent.

The accommodation survey collects data from hotels, motels, backpacker hostels and holiday parks, but excludes private accommodation rentals such as Airbnb and holiday homes.

Nationally all accommodation types reported an increase, with holiday parks up the most at 14.5 per cent.

Mckenzie said the British and Irish Lions rugby tour, which had its first game in Northland in early June, may have had some impact in May.

Short-term visitor arrivals to New Zealand were up 8 per cent in May on the same period last year, with the biggest change in arrivals being from Australia, up 12 per cent.