Visitors flock to Bay of Plenty now but accommodation providers fearful of future

The Bay is proving a popular place for a break but with no international tourists concerns continue to run high. Photo / Getty Images

Last-minute bookings and walk-ins off the street are emerging trends Bay of Plenty accommodation providers have noticed this summer in the absence of international tourists.

The sector is holding its own as Kiwis holiday in Tauranga, but in the wider Bay, industry players admit the future is ''hazy'' and it will be ''tough'' from next month onwards.

Hospitality New Zealand accommodation sector Bay of Plenty chairman and 850 Cameron Motel owner Tony Bullot. Photo / File

Hospitality New Zealand accommodation sector Bay of Plenty chairman and 850 Cameron Motel owner Tony Bullot said rooms were still available in Tauranga but so far the holiday season had been favourable.

''It's been really good but it will be hard to know what will happen from now on.''

The lack of international tourists had impacted some moteliers but events like Bay Dreams meant 'town has been full up until now''.

Tauranga was desirable because it was an easy weekend away, although some visitors were ''jumping about and leaving decisions and bookings to the last minute'', he said.

Tauranga Tourism Park owner Daniel Kearvell said it had been busy all year round. He put that down to the park's central location and focus on campervans, caravans and mobile homes.

The park had also found a niche this year; catering for people who were building homes to park up for a few months.

Tauranga City Council Mount Beachside Holiday Park team leader Mark Hales said 3051 people had stayed at the camp from January 1 to January 6.

He said the region's unique coastal environment offered plenty of options for everyone to enjoy the perfect holiday break.

Unlike in August like this picture portrays the Mount Beachside Holiday Park is teeming with visitors says Mark Hales. Photo / File

A $377,000 extension of its ocean amenity facility to meet growing demand was also nearly complete.

''The dining and lounge area has been in high demand and our visitors are enjoying the new space. Works including finishing painting and fencing will commence and be completed in February.''

The accommodation sector in Rotorua is worried about bookings from February onwards. Photo / File

In Rotorua, Prince's Gate Boutique Hotel assistant general manager, Steven Taylor, said while they were currently on a 10-day fully booked streak, rooms were filling up at the last minute. This was different to previous years where they were booked out months in advance by international visitors.

"Normally, we'd be getting phone calls and lots of walk-in guests that we'd be turning away, even well before the day itself."

Rooms were now being sold on the day and Taylor said they were busy but in a different way.

He said the room rates were not where they used to be with tourists who were able to plan ahead and put money aside, compared to the price "savvy" Kiwis.

Despite having three hotels dedicated to managed isolation as well as hotels in the city being used for emergency accommodation, he said there were still a number of vacancies.

"There still seems to be a reasonable amount of rooms still available at this time of year where that wouldn't be the case for Rotorua in normal times."

Taylor said it was "hazy" going forward given the unpredictability and the number of rooms they needed to sell in the coming weeks.

"We're doing well despite the situation ... it's just a new adjustment to a new time, and I think this is going to be a reality for another 12, 18 months."

Holdens Bay Holiday Park co-manager Natalie Douglas said all their cabins were booked out over the Christmas and New Year period, and most of their powered sites were occupied, which she said would slow down this week.

The accommodation facility was made up of cabins and powered sites.

She managed the park with her husband, Michael, and the pair had come into the role on December 20 and were unable to compare the level of occupancy to previous years.

Douglas said guests were an even split on the bookings made months in advance and walk-ins.

She said the number of bookings would slow down from next week, but would pick up again from late-January until mid-February.

Holiday makers are in the Bay at the moment but accommodation providers say the next few months will be tough. Photo / File

Hospitality New Zealand accommodation sector Rotorua vice-chairman and Aura Accommodation owner Nick Fitzgerald said the town looked to be at capacity in the week leading up to January 4.

He agreed booking trends had changed and rates were also dropping as the traditional summer holiday period came to an end.

''It will certainly be an interesting time moving forward. The domestic market is not going to fill the void of the international market so it will be tough.''

Destination Rotorua Visitor Services executive manager Graham Brownrigg said accommodation was in high demand from Christmas through to the start of this week.

Holiday parks and peer-to-peer accommodation, in particular, were almost at full capacity.

''We are still seeing a lot of demand from visitors looking for camping sites.''

- Additional reporting Cira Olivier