Derry said leisure demand in New Zealand was back to 2019 levels and the RWC had already boosted bookings. Next year's Fifa Women's World Cup in this country would be big as well, but small events in cities were also crucial to driving demand for beds.
Corporate demand was recovering, helped by a developing alternative to WFH (Working from Home), to Working from Hotels, where guests wanted more space and facilities in lobbies to work during stays which could be combined with leisure travel.
In Auckland, occupancy levels were back around 55 per cent, while in Christchurch and Queenstown it was in the low 60 per cent levels.
"Occupancies are reasonable at the moment. Where we're really challenged is by the staffing shortages at the moment. So that means that at times, unfortunately, we don't always have our full offering available."
Derry said New Zealand hotels were competing against those in Australia for global labour and now that young Australians were travelling further afield, Kiwis were crossing the Tasman to fill those vacancies.
Accor paid the living wage as a minimum and offered soft benefits such as more choice over when staff work, car parking and an incentive scheme with $600 to staff who refer new hires to the hotel.
Catering to individual needs was core to a ''Work Your Way'' philosophy at the company.
Derry said this side of the pandemic, guests were spending more as the pent-up demand was released.
"People are often staying longer. They are spending in the restaurant - the food and beverage cheques have increased."
She said cost of living pressure would be a factor for holidaymakers, but bookings out to Easter next year were strong and there were signs that travellers were willing to find money for a vacation, despite a tough economy.
