Good weather over the holiday period may be good for motels, but it could be bad news for video and DVD rentals.
The summer holiday period from Boxing Day is a busy time of year for both moteliers and video rental stores and motels in the region are confident
about this year's visitor numbers over the Christmas break.
Mawley Park Motor Camp manager Jill Clarke said that all 24 cabins and 56 power sites are fully booked from today until about January 6, though it's a waiting game for tent-dweller numbers because they don't require bookings.
"She all depends on the weather," co-manager Mike Clarke said.
"We won't know until after Boxing Day (of tent-dweller numbers) because we don't book tents out. If the weather's kind to us we'll get lots of tents."
Gareth Teahan, owner of one of the biggest motels in the district Highwayman Motel said his facility is almost full for the New Year period.
"With tourists that come into the area, we would expect to be pretty much full for most nights over the next two to three weeks."
A trend he is noticing is a bigger proportion of families visiting elderly relatives in Wairarapa are requiring accommodation because their grandparents' houses are not big enough to house them.
"They're just not big enough to handle those sorts of numbers any more."
One drawcard for visitors over the holiday break is the drags on December 28 and 29 Mr Teahan said that event is very popular and he has had a group of five Wellington families stay at his motel for the past 15 years to attend the January 2 race meeting at Tauherenikau.
On Monday, Wairarapa Motel Association of New Zealand chairman Ross Hewitt said his motel, Cornwall Park, was about 70 per cent booked over the holiday period and he has also noticed a lot of families staying while they visit grandparents over the holidays.
Meanwhile, though motels and campgrounds are hopeful of sun, Video Ezy Masterton manager Todd McKean said, as with most public holidays, good weather usually means less people rent movies.
"If it's sunny then it's a bit of a lottery. If it's raining then it's definitely busier," he said.
Ninety minutes after the start of business on Christmas Eve, Mr McKean said the store was busier than usual for a Monday, but quieter than in previous years.
"This year hasn't been quite as hectic as others. I think a lot of places are finding that, just from comments from our customers."
Good weather over the holiday period may be good for motels, but it could be bad news for video and DVD rentals.
The summer holiday period from Boxing Day is a busy time of year for both moteliers and video rental stores and motels in the region are confident
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