Lions' fans book out accommodation in Whangarei

NO VACANCY, Whangarei's Cheviot Motor Lodge is fully booked with British and Irish Lions' fans, nine months ahead of the tour game in the city. PHOTO/Michael Cunningham

Nine months out from the British and Irish Lions tour of the country, no vacancy signs are already up in hotels around Whangarei which are still receiving queries from rugby fans from the United Kingdom.
The Lions kickstart their New Zealand tour on June 3, 2017 with a game against the Provincial Union XV at Toll Stadium and play the All Blacks on June 24 at Eden Park, on July 1 in Wellington and again a week later in Auckland.

Whangarei District Council is investing $250,000 into the game, but expects an economic windfall for the district with several thousand Lions fans expected to follow the team. The Lions last played in Whangarei in 1993, when Northlander and All Black lock Ian Jones played for the North Auckland side.

Council spokeswoman Ann Midson said there was expected to be around 2000 Lions fans in the region for the first game, swelling to about 22,000 nationally for the tests.

She said the visitors will provide a huge financial fillip to the city, but the council can not give a definitive figure on that economic benefit at this stage.

As an example though Dunedin and Otago are believed to have had about $5 million of extra economic activity by hosting a Lions' game in 2005.

''However, the fact that accommodation providers are already booked out is evidence of how that influx of visitors will provide benefits. Given that, we believe (the council's investment) will see a very good return.''

As well as booking out motels and hotels many fans will be travelling in camper vans.

''In between games the fans will be touring around the country, including Northland,'' the spokeswoman said.

Pembrooke Motor Lodge, a 3-star hotel on Deveron St, was fully booked for a minimum of five nights around the game, mostly by Lions' fans who booked soon after the team's tour to New Zealand was confirmed months ago.

Lodge owner Rick Codlin said an advantage for Northland tourism was that key games would be played in the North Island, especially the All Blacks v Lions clash at Eden Park which was only a two-hour drive from Whangarei.

"They'll (Lions' fans) will base themselves in Whangarei for a few days before and after the match at Toll Stadium and possible look to travel to Auckland for the first test and return," Mr Codlin said.

"Accommodation in Auckland will be really tight and it will be expensive which will make travelling to and from Whangarei appealing to a lot of fans."

He said a lot of businesses in the hospitality sector in Northland was poised to cash in as overseas rugby fans saved for up to five years prior to the Lions' tour.

The no vacancy sign at Cheviot Park Motor Lodge between June 2 and 5 next year has gone up and owner Tim Hodgson said the Lions' tour would be an excellent opportunity to showcase Northland to rugby fans. All 17 rooms were snapped up through an Irish travel agency.

Murray Cook, manager of Distinction Hotel Whangarei on Riverside Dr, said rooms were pretty close to full around the time the Lions play at Toll Stadium.

"We're still getting enquiries from people asking for rooms. Hopefully more people travel up north during the rugby tour which will be good for the community up here," he said.

The hotel has 114 rooms.

Hospitality New Zealand Northland branch president, John Maurice, said no doubt businesses in the region such as bars and eateries would apply for special licences to extend their closing hours when the Lions were in town.

"The tour is worth quite a substantial amount and it will certainly do a lot for tourism in Northland. Their fans are used to longer trading hours but we've got to work around within the framework," he said.

"Special licences are a tool we can use to extend trading hours in the hospitality sector and that's a work in progress at the moment."