Rotorua visitor numbers are on the rebound since mid-2022

Ticket sales at the Rotorua i-Site were on the rise over December and January. Photo / Laura Smith

Rotorua has been experiencing a rebound in visitor numbers since the middle of last year, two council organisations have said.

Visitor numbers will be a topic of next Wednesday’s Rotorua Lakes Council Community and District Development Committee meeting. Members will hear reports from two council-controlled organisations - the airport and the district’s economic development agency.

In her report, Rotorua Airport’s chief executive Nicole Brewer said it was ahead of its budget for the July 2022 to January 2023 period, mainly due to increased landing fees and lower-than-expected operating expenses.

While there was less aircraft movement in that timeframe due to wet-weather days, the number of passengers was up and 8 per cent ahead of budget.

There was, after depreciation and before tax, a net surplus of $910,776, while it had budgeted for a surplus of $43,897.

Also in the update, Brewer said passenger traffic was recovering post-pandemic but lingering effects remained.

“While we are seeing good passenger growth and strong load factors, Air NZ passenger numbers and capacity are well behind pre-Covid levels due to Air NZ capacity constraints primarily driven by a shortage of pilots.”

She said airport management expected these constraints to ease throughout the year, increasing the number of flights to and from the city.

RotoruaNZ also provided a report for the same period.

Chief executive Andrew Wilson provided highlights for the quarter including its events marketing, familiarisation hosting and tourism and hospitality capability-building.

Information in the update included how ticket sales at the i-Site had “rebounded strongly” over December and January, approaching 60-70 per cent of pre-Covid levels.

International visitors were mostly from Australia, the US, UK and Germany, while domestic travellers were mostly from Auckland, Rotorua, Wellington and Christchurch.

Wilson also noted how operators were still facing staff shortages that impacted on opening hours, with some unable to open seven days a week.

“The weather has had an impact on sales with cancellations in some instances and rafting is one attraction that has been severely affected.”

It also provided a financial update; RotoruaNZ was tracking about $100,000 above its year-to-date budget of -$275,680.

This was due to improved trading and reduced staff numbers.

Committee members will also be asked to approve and make operative Plan Change 3 – Significant Natural Areas to the Rotorua District Plan.

The change is aimed at protecting areas identified as having significant indigenous vegetation or significant habitat for indigenous fauna.

- Public Interest Journalism funded through NZ on Air