Hotels report visitor numbers up

Chief Executive of the Tourism Industry Association New Zealand (TIA), Chris Roberts.

Rotorua hotels recorded their best occupancy level in five years in an otherwise steady period of trading during 2014, according to new Tourism Industry Association New Zealand research.

Occupancy in the association's 10 member hotels in Rotorua was 71.1 per cent, up three points from 2013.

Although this was below the average national occupancy rate of 75.5 per cent, it was the highest recorded in Rotorua for the last five years, the association's chief executive Chris Roberts said.

The average daily rate was $101, the same as in 2013, generating total revenue of $60 million.

Rotorua's results were impacted in the first part of 2014 by the change in Chinese legislation which put a stop to budget shopping tours for Chinese travellers, Mr Roberts said.

"However, towards the end of 2014 and into the 2014-15 summer, Rotorua started to see an increase in the Chinese free independent travel sector which is offsetting the losses from the shopping tours," he says.

Rotorua's results were supported by events including the Rotorua Marathon, national conferences and the filming of a Chinese reality TV show, Dad, Where Are We Going?

"Almost every Tourism Industry Association hotel region saw excellent results last year, with the exception of Christchurch where a significant recovery in the supply of available rooms due to hotel openings and re-openings has affected the occupancy statistics," Mr Roberts said.

"These positive trends have continued in 2015 and as a result, we are seeing reinvestment with a number of the region's hotels undergoing refurbishment.

"And investors are responding to demand with more hotel developments around the country than we have seen for quite some time," Mr Roberts said.

Tourism Industry Association Hotel sector regional chairman Blair Chalmers agreed with Mr Roberts' comments.

Rotorua's 10 Tourism Industry Association Hotel members

* Offered 1446 rooms (no change from 2013).
* Employed 730 people.
* Contributed $44 million to the region through wages and salaries, food and beverage purchases, council rates and other expenditure.
* Paid $21 million in wages and salaries, and $1 million in council rates.
* Recorded growth in the New Zealand and Australian markets but a decline in visitor numbers from Japan and China.
* Saw a small decline in the corporate travel market was offset by growth in independent leisure travellers.