More families opt to stay at holiday parks
BAD weather has holiday-makers sitting on their hands for Christmas, but more families are choosing holiday parks for a cheaper break this year.
And the majority of holiday parks are expecting a busier festive season than last year, according to the Holiday Parks Association of New Zealand business confidence monitor.
The survey of HPANZ’s 300 members found 78 per cent of holiday park owners were more optimistic than pessimistic.
Nearly 50 per cent expected demand during December and January this season to exceed last year’s, while a further 34 per cent expected it to remain steady.
Paekakariki Holiday Park camp manager Marilyn Heazlewood said she was getting about 30 booking inquiries a day.
The holiday park had some power sites available but was otherwise full for Christmas and New Year’s Eve, she said.
‘‘The bookings are steady but people are being a little bit more cautious because of the crap weather we’ve had over Christmas and New Year in the past.
‘‘Just waiting to see what’s happening.’’
Bookings were ‘‘totally weather-dependent’’, she said, but a day or two of lovely weather quickly got people enthusiastic. Inquiries this year were at about the same level as last year, although families were increasingly opting for a holiday park stay.
‘‘I think it’s a cheaper form of holiday so people are doing it rather than going to motels or going too far afield,’’ she said.
‘‘We get families booking, often they’re in groups of two, three, sometimes eight, and the kids all gang together and go off and have a great time and the parents are sitting around having a good natter and a relaxing time.’’
Paekakariki Holiday Park got some international visitors who would stop off, going to and from the ferry, but the majority of ‘‘peak season’’ bookings were locals, Heazlewood said.
‘‘An hour up the coast and they’re on holiday. I think it’s just the way people are wanting to holiday now.’’
HPANZ chief executive Fergus Brown said the monitor’s results for November and December were down slightly on the previous month. Optimism ahead of the busiest weeks of the year was the same as last year, however, and confidence for the next 12 months was also rising.