Covid 19 coronavirus: Tourist numbers drop at New Zealand walking tracks

Visitor numbers are down 52 per cent for the Hooker Valley Track in the Aoraki National Park. Photo / 123RF

Some of New Zealand's most popular walking tracks have had a huge decline in visitor numbers.

Data from the Department of Conservation compared visitor numbers over September and October this year to the same time last year.

Milford Sound was down 72 per cent, Franz Josef Glacier down 66 per cent and Hooker Valley Track down 52 per cent.

Roys Peak and Ben Lomond tracks were down 42 per cent and 31 per cent respectively.

"Many parts of New Zealand have been hit hard by the loss of international visitors. More remote, high-volume internationally renowned destinations in national parks saw a huge decline in visitation.

"Acknowledging how tough the last year has been for many local economies, it was great to have been able to open the popular Milford and Routeburn tracks in Fiordland in time for the holidays, to support domestic tourism in the region," DoC director general Lou Sanson said.

DoC says New Zealanders are going to be camping at large, coastal campgrounds at Kiwi summer hotspots such as Northland, Coromandel and the upper South Island.

Tōtaranui Campground (near Abel Tasman Coast Track) has the highest number of bookings out of all DoC campgrounds in New Zealand this summer.

Waikawau Bay (Coromandel) and Otamure Bay (Northland) campsites are proving popular, too.

"While DoC is expecting a busy season, there is still lots of space over summer across the hundreds of conservation campsites, including campsites on Great Walks."

Most popular campsites

Number of nights booked between December 1, 2020 and February 28, 2021:

• Tōtaranui, Nelson/Tasman: 42,170

• Waikawau Bay, Coromandel: 17,580

• Otamure Bay, Northland: 16,710

• Uretiti Beach, Northland: 11,770

• Puriri Bay (Whangaruru), Northland: 9190

• Momorangi Bay, Marlborough: 8630

• Urupukapuka Bay, Northland: 6430

• Waikahoa Bay, Northland: 5100

• Port Jackson, Coromandel: 4420

• Cable Bay (Urupukapuka), Northland: 2430