Guest nights on rise

The shift of Easter into March this year caused guest nights in short-term commercial accommodation to rise 11 per cent for the month, compared with the previous March.

Statistics New Zealand figures show total guest nights for the month were up 10 per cent in the North Island and up 12 per cent in the South Island.

All 12 regions recorded more guest nights, with Otago and Canterbury recording the largest increases.

For the third month running, hotels had their highest monthly guest nights since the survey began in July 1996.