Data Dashboard

April 2025 Insights

International growth outpaces domestic, boosting occupancy and jobs
April was a positive month for tourism in Waitaki, with strong growth in international guest nights and card spending significantly outpacing domestic activity. Occupancy in both commercial and short-term rental accommodation grew ahead of the national average, supported by robust guest night increases. Tourism-related employment also expanded well above the national average, driven particularly by growth in recreation services. Note that while Easter fell into April this year, it was mostly in March last year—partly explaining the strong domestic performance in the accommodation sector.

International spend outpaces domestic in ongoing market growth
Guest nights and card spending increased at a comparable pace across both domestic and international markets. However, international activity remained significantly stronger, with card spend up +13% YoY compared to +8% YoY in the domestic market.

Increasing self-catering highlights strong international retail focus
In both markets, card spend on retail food and beverage significantly outpaced spend on food and beverage serving services, suggesting a continued shift toward self-catering. Notably, international card spend on ‘retail other’ products rose sharply by +37% YoY, while the same category declined by -6% YoY domestically. This divergence may indicate a strong international focus in retail offerings.

Mixed spending patterns highlight southern surge, Auckland decline, Wellington lift
Card spend by Cantabrians grew modestly at +3% YoY. In contrast, nearby Otago and Southland markets saw substantial increases of +22% and +26% YoY, respectively. While spend from Aucklanders declined by -8% YoY, Wellingtonians demonstrated strong growth at +18% YoY.

The top three continue to outpace average growth rates
The 3 top-ranked international markets by card spend volume extended their lead: the US rose by +44% YoY, Australia by +10% YoY, and the Rest of Asia (excluding China, Japan, and Korea) increased by +25% YoY—all well above the national average growth rates for these markets.

Occupancy climbs as international guest nights outpace domestic
Commercial and short-term rental occupancy grew at a slightly stronger pace than the national average. Commercial accommodation saw a +3%pt increase in occupancy, driven by a +10% YoY rise in guest nights, partially offset by a +4% YoY increase in available rooms. International guest night growth (+15% YoY) notably outpaced domestic growth (+8% YoY).

Domestic guests pivot to mainstream options, boutique lodging drops
Holiday parks and campgrounds (+23% YoY), small motels (up to 20 stay units, +20% YoY), and hotels (+20% YoY) all saw substantial guest night increases. In contrast, guest nights in lodges and boutique accommodation declined sharply by -29% YoY. This drop was due to a -47% YoY decrease in domestic nights, despite a +35% YoY increase in international stays—potentially reflecting a shift toward premium short-term rentals among domestic visitors. Occupancy rates in small motels rose significantly by +15%pt, while hotel occupancy slipped slightly by -2%pt, attributed to a +16% YoY rise in room supply.

Waitaki sees strong job gains, outpacing national average
Tourism-related employment in Waitaki saw strong growth in April, up +4% YoY, well above the national average of 0% YoY. The recreation services sector led with +38% YoY growth, while the largest employing sector—food and beverage—also expanded by +4% YoY.