Source: MIL-OSI Submissions
Source: Impact PR
Regional tourism and accommodation operators are set to benefit from a surge in the number of Aucklanders booking out-of-region travel, according to new data.
New figures from Bachcare, New Zealand’s largest holiday home management firm, show a 108% increase in bookings (during Nov 4-10) over the week prior – marking the busiest week of bookings for Aucklanders since the lockdown began in July.
In comparison, bookings for travellers from outside of Auckland were up 34% over the same two-week period.
Zaina Razzaq, spokesperson for Bachcare, says the data suggests Aucklanders are growing increasingly confident that the borders will reopen in time for the summer holidays.
“Auckland is the single largest source of revenue for most of the domestic travel and tourism industry at the moment and has been navigating a high level of uncertainty in recent months.
“We know that the signals from the Government are providing an increasing level of confidence that Aucklanders will be able to travel at Christmas and as a result we have seen a surge in the number of bookings over the past week,” he says.
Razzaq says Aucklanders typically book summer bach stays within driving distance of the city particularly in Coromandel, Bay of Plenty, Northland, and Waikato regions.
She says despite the logistical challenges faced by the Government around processing tens of thousands of vehicles exiting the city, Aucklanders are growing increasingly optimistic this will be resolved ahead of December.
“A large part of the holiday home rental market is heavily reliant on the ability of Aucklanders to access their accommodation by road.
“While there is plenty of activity in the regions adjacent to Auckland with areas such as Coromandel making up over a quarter (27%) of bookings, we are also seeing a segment of this region opting to stay closer to home in areas such as Matakana (8%) and Waiheke Island (6%).
“Outside of those areas Canterbury and Lake Taupo are also popular with around a sixth (17%) of Auckland travels,” she says.
Razzaq says December bookings make up 38% of stays with January a further 26%. A fifth of bookings have been made for November – with many keen to get out of the city as soon as the travel can resume.
She says traditionally the top 10 summer bach destinations for Aucklanders are:
Pauanui
Matarangi
Waihi Beach
Cooks Beach
Mt Maunganui
Mangawhai Heads
Matapouri
Raglan
Hahei
Whangapoua
