Rotorua Top 10 Holiday Park owner Jared Adams. Photo / Andrew Warner
Rotorua Top 10 Holiday Park owner Jared Adams. Photo / Andrew Warner
Thousands of holidaymakers are flocking to the Bay of Plenty and accommodation providers say bookings have jumped by nearly 19 per cent as more Kiwis decide to explore the region.
Rotorua Top 10 Holiday Park owner Jared Adams said the park was "pretty booked up" for the entire July schoolholidays.
"We have done better than we expected or predicted," he said. "This is usually our quietest holidays."
Adams said there were quite a few people with campervans and visitors were coming from all across the country, including some from Rotorua who just wanted a night away.
He said he had also noticed an increase in mountain bikers.
"We're stoked ... the domestic market has grown hugely which is great for us."
Kevin Thornborough, co-manager of All Seasons Holiday Park in Hannah's Bay, said they had been busy.
"This would be our best July school holidays yet. We are almost at 100 per cent occupancy rate with our fixed accommodation but our camping sites are well up too.
"There are good forward bookings and that is really encouraging."
Thornborough said people were arriving from all over New Zealand, including "quite a few South Islanders".
He said people were making the most of campervan deals and were looking to spend their money locally.
Andrew Wilson, interim chief executive of Destination Rotorua, said it was fantastic to see the full range of accommodation providers in Rotorua benefiting from the school holiday period as New Zealanders took up the call to explore their own country.
"All of the feedback so far tells us that the holidays are shaping up well and the expected sunshine over the next few days will mean more people are out and about enjoying the destination."
Pāpāmoa Beach Resort director Bruce Crosby said he was pleasantly surprised by the 19 per cent increase in guest nights during the past month compared with the same period last year.
"Last Sunday night we had around 120 people on-site, which is a real surprise for this time of year," he said.
Kevin and Tracie Thornborough, from All Seasons Holidays Park at Hannah's Bay in Rotorua. Photo / Andrew Warner
Mount Maunganui Beachside Holiday Park manager Mark Hales said the park had been busy since alert level 2 and the school holiday bookings were "pretty full".
"Just looking at the numbers, we were about 1000 more people this June compared to June last year."
Hales said there had been plenty of people in motorhomes wanting a place to stay and visitors were coming from all over the country.
"I think it is because New Zealanders are not going overseas, they are travelling around New Zealand.
"People are also wanting to get out and about after being in lockdown for so long."
Waihī Beach accommodation providers were also experiencing the same rise in numbers.
Waihī Beach Paradise Resort owner Peter West said bookings were pouring in.
"We are pretty much fully booked in the short term, we are even having to turn people away," he said.
"It's great to see Kiwis wanting to take advantage of the unique laid-back lifestyle that Waihī Beach has to offer."
Waihī Beach Top 10 Holiday Park owner Ian Smith said their occupancy was up 6 per cent, and revenue had doubled on the same period last year. Bookings for the school holidays were also solid.
"Campgrounds along the Bay of Plenty coastline are the economic backbone for many communities, with our campground alone contributing $10 million in visitor revenue each year," Smith said.
"People are spending money and provided they receive good service and value for money, I think the trend is set to continue as New Zealanders continue to experience what their country has to offer."
