Mount Maunganui Beachside Holiday Park manager Mark Hales. Photo / Mead Norton
Mount Maunganui Beachside Holiday Park manager Mark Hales. Photo / Mead Norton
Bay of Plenty businesses are looking forward to a “busy summer” free of Covid restrictions and with open international borders.
However, some are struggling to recruit staff and have noticed a drop in local spending due to the cost of living crisis.
Mount Maunganui Beachside Holiday Park manager Mark Hales said bookings were looking “very good” for the summer holidays. About 85 per cent were domestic bookings and the rest were international.
“We’re basically full over the Christmas New Year period.”
Hales said he was looking forward to a “busy summer” and seeing everyone enjoy themselves after the past two years of lockdowns and Covid restrictions.
In November, Hales had already started seeing overseas guests travelling around in campervans and staying for a couple of nights at the holiday park.
“That’s excellent... haven’t seen that for a couple of years.”
Mark Hales said he was looking forward to a “busy summer”. Photo / Mead Norton
Mount Maunganui-based Zealandier Tours owner Jan Davies said bookings for the summer were “manically crazy” with international tourists coming from America, Australia and the United Kingdom.
“We are trying to hire more staff - like everyone else, it’s a challenge.”
But she was confident she would get the required numbers of staff for the season.
Davies said a lot of their work pre-Covid was cruise ship clientele.
“We have to work with all our attractions and other providers who are struggling... so it’s not simple. It’s all about having to work together really closely hand in hand with everybody in the industry to rebuild it.
“We just want to give the tourists coming to New Zealand a good experience when they get here so we have to work really hard to make sure that that happens.”
Ashleigh Gee - owner of Miss Gee's Bar and Eatery in Tauranga. Photo / Supplied
Miss Gee’s Bar and Eatery owner Ashleigh Gee said she had hired more staff to prepare for the busy summer period, but she had noticed ticket sales for big events were down.
“And I think that’s just the pinch of inflation hitting people’s bank accounts.
“I have noticed a bit of a change in people’s spending with regards to going out to hospitality venues and not going as often, but when they do, they’re still spending.”
She hoped international tourists might help make up for less domestic spending.
Chairman of the Hospitality NZ accommodation sector Bay of Plenty and the owner of Tauranga’s 850 Cameron Motel Tony Bullot said accommodation providers were looking forward to summer and it was “great” to see overseas tourists booking three to four months in advance.
“I think every sector through the whole country is struggling for staff right now and it is the biggest shame. With tourism going to happen over summer, so many cafes and restaurants and accommodation [providers] are going to get caught because they just can’t service like they used to.
“It is by far the biggest challenge - people are wanting to do what they can and do the best for tourists but really, everybody’s running on an oily rag and after a couple of hard years and a lot of stress and pressure, this is another one on top for sure.”
Tauranga Business Chamber chief executive Matt Cowley. Photo / Mead Norton
Tauranga Business Chamber chief executive Matt Cowley said international tourists this summer were hoped to be near pre-Covid levels, which cruise ships were already indicating.
“Those businesses which operate over summer know that international and domestic visitors are coming. They are hoping for good weather, people who want to work, reliable supply chains, and some good luck. Businesses are planning for peak demand around events, festivals and visiting cruise ships.
“People around the world have an appetite to travel again, although, most people are facing a cost of living crisis back home and the costs of travel have increased e.g. fuel and staff shortages.”
But lost income from the past two-and-a-half years could not be recovered, he said.
“Once a bed has been unrented, you can’t charge more the following night. You can only charge what the market is willing to pay.
“Having said that, a good summer period for those more seasonal industries, like tourism and hospitality, will increase their cash balances to help them get through the quieter winter months.”
Tourism Bay of Plenty general manager Oscar Nathan said the “summer peak” would last a lot longer this year due to international visitors being back.
“When New Zealanders head back to work in the second week of January and kids start going back to school at the end of that month, international visitors will still be coming in to stay at hotels, motels and holiday parks, and this will make a noticeable difference right across the visitor sector.”
Nathan said the region would be “pumping” from December 23 until January 8.
It also saw accommodation booking surges for Auckland Anniversary weekend and the Black Caps vs England cricket test match in February, with Waitangi weekend expected to be busy too.
Bachcare head of revenue Nick Peirce said its booking data showed Mount Maunganui, Pāpāmoa and Taupō were among the most popular destinations for New Year’s. Forward bookings for short-stay baches in Rotorua were up 95 per cent as international tourists turned to holiday home rentals in cities with limited accommodation infrastructure.
