NZ guest nights trending at all time high

More people stayed at New Zealand motels in August than in the previous month.

New Zealand motels, hotels and holiday parks saw strong growth in the number of guest nights during August, according to latest figures.

Statistics New Zealand released data today showing national guest nights rose 1.5 per cent in August, after a fall of 1.8 per cent in July.

Spokesman Blair Cardno said the overall trend for short-term commercial accommodation had been tracking up and was now at an all-time high.

"Most guest-night trend series continue to rise. Both main islands and most accommodation types maintained growth in guest nights," he said.

Statistics New Zealand records the number of people staying in four types of accommodation - hotels, motels, backpacker accommodation, and holiday parks - each month.

One guest night is equivalent to one guest spending one night at an establishment. A motel with 10 guests spending two nights would report that they had provided 20 guest nights.

Guest nights rose for three of the four accommodation types in August. Motels saw growth of 1.9 per cent, hotels were up 0.8 per cent and holiday parks had a lift of 0.4 per cent.

Backpacker guest nights fell 1.7 per cent.

The South Island outperformed the North, with increases of 1.1 per cent and 0.7 per cent respectively.

There was a 1.9 per cent rise in the number of New Zealanders staying in accommodation, after fluctuations earlier this year caused by early Easter and later school holidays.

International guest nights increased by 0.2 per cent, after a 1.9 per cent fall in July.

Eleven of the 12 regions saw growth in August, with the largest occurring in Otago.