Confident heading into winter

Michael Thorne says a quiet winter will be in line with other winters. Photo / File

Rotorua holiday park owners are again bucking national trends with business confidence at a high in the district.

The latest Holiday Parks Business Confidence Monitor for April/May 2015 shows confidence has dropped nationally, falling below the previous year's confidence level for the first time in more than a year.

They say the new confidence level survey indicates that 69 per cent of respondents are currently more optimistic than pessimistic.

Rotorua Holiday Park owners are feeling confident heading into winter because of a record summer.

Waiteti Trout Stream Holiday Park owner Michael Thorne said winter was looking quiet, but that was not unusual.

He said there were forward bookings around the July school holidays.

"It is a seasonal thing with holiday parks. Rotorua, and country-wide, we had a long summer lasting right through to the end of April.

"We have had our best year in 10 years.

"My understanding from the last [Rotorua Holiday Parks] meeting was all the places in our group had a great season. A lot of it is because of great weather, but the 'Famously Rotorua' campaign has brought a lot to the area. We are looking at a quiet winter, but this is in line with other winters.

"Personally, I won't say I am optimistic but I am not pessimistic, it is what it is."

Top Ten Holiday Park owner operator and New Zealand Holiday Park Association board member Jared Adams said his bookings for May were on par with last year, but it was too early to make a call looking forward.

"I am not feeling too negative about it. This was the biggest summer we have had since 1991. We are ready for the next season and we are renovating some of our rooms."

He said business would be healthy if the next summer season was as busy as this year.

"We had a magical summer, and most people I have spoken to are similar to us."

-The Holiday Parks Business Confidence Monitor, developed and managed by Angus & Associates, surveys the Holiday Accommodation Parks Association of NZ's 300 members.