Waitangi weekend bookings up 65 per cent but Aucklanders says Bachcare data still hesitant to travel

Bookings for baches in Queenstown, Lake Taupo and Wellington are up more than 60% compared to last Waitangi weekend according to Bachcare data. Photo / Tourism New Zealand

The last nationwide long weekend of summer is hours away and thousands of Kiwis are getting ready to travel for Waitangi Day according to recent data.

Bookings for accommodation is up 65 per cent compared to Waitangi weekend the previous year for New Zealand's popular holiday home firm, Bachcare.

Some regions have seen a 65 per cent increase for the coming weekend compared to the same dates in 2021.

However, not everyone is eager to travel after the impact of omicron and Aucklanders are less likely to be escaping the city for a weekend out of town.

As for the most popular destinations, Bachcare spokesperson Zaina Razzaq, said regions like Queenstown/Southern Lakes continue to attract large volumes of domestic travellers.

The next national public holiday will be Good Friday on April 15, more than two months from now.

Razzaq said they believed the dip in Auckland numbers could be a result of having previous plans jilted by Covid-19 announcements and restrictions.

"Our data shows some Kiwis (and particularly Aucklanders) are starting to adopt a wait and see approach to travel - with many leaving their bookings to the last minute," they said.

"Last Waitangi Day around half of the bookings were from Aucklanders while this year it has dropped to around a third.

"We think that many chose Auckland Anniversary weekend to get away while Omicron numbers were still relatively low."

In other parts of the country, Razzaq said people were less apprehensive.

Queenstown and Southern Lakes bookings have seen a 65 per cent increase over the previous year while Lake Taupo is up 38 per cent, Canterbury is up 26 per cent and Wellington & Wairarapa are up 21 per cent.

The privacy provided by a bach or stand alone accommodation was also a contributing factor according to Razzaq.

"Unlike hotels, guests do not have shared spaces to contend with - we think this is part of the reason consumer demand is remaining resilient during the developing Omicron situation," she said.