Busy calendar helps boost visitor figures over January

The Whanganui Riverside Festival on Taupo Quay, part of January's Vintage Weekend. Photo/File

A busy schedule of events in January saw something of a tourist influx into Wanganui.

Latest figures from the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment show that visitor nights for the month rose by 37 per cent from January 2013.

The most significant part of that increase came in the form of domestic visitors with the number of Kiwis stopping in the district rising 56.4 per cent year on year.

Welcoming the encouraging numbers, Visit Whanganui marketing manager Lyn Cheyne said: "There was a lot on to appeal - the cricket festival, Wanganui Opera Week, Vintage Weekend, the Cooks Classic event, a fishing competition, 4x4 Tussock Traverse, Ratana celebrations and the water ski competition at Lake Wiritoa. "Sometimes I don't think we realise just how much we offer visitors and the diversity of events Wanganui hosts."

The upward trend followed disappointing figures for November and December.

January saw visitors' length of stay increase fractionally and the overall occupancy rate among accommodation providers rose to 40.7 per cent.

The results for the year ending January 2014 were also encouraging. Guest nights rose 8.9 per cent, international guest nights rose 15.9 per cent and domestic guest nights rose 7.2 per cent. Again, length of stay rose incrementally and occupancy rates rose.

Ms Cheyne said there were still big challenges ahead. "When looking at the numbers by accommodation type, the motels and apartment sector show good results for January but the annual comparison shows falling numbers," she said. "This is why we're working with these accommodation providers in Whanganui to get a better understanding of who motel customers are. Figures suggest we are getting more visitors - a 2.6 per cent increase for the year ending January 2014 - but they are not staying as long, with a decrease in the average length of stay.

"This is where we really need to get out there and promote the variety of things to do and see in Wanganui."

Dr Eric Dorfman, chair of Visit Whanganui, was heartened to see the shifting trend.

"People in Wanganui are increasingly excellent proponents of their city and it's encouraging to see how the breadth of experiences and attractions are beginning to reap rewards," he said.

Destination Whanganui Providers chairman Dave Hill said the improvement reflected the damage done last year with the sewage works problems and the associated negative media reports. He said the January 2014 result was slightly better than January 2012, marking a return to "normal" for operators.

"The report is good news for Wanganui accommodation providers who have struggled over the last five years with a serious downturn in guest nights and visitor numbers," he said.

The total number of guest nights over the past 12 months was 176,306, up nearly 15,000 on the previous year, but still behind 2012 figures.

Mr Hill said it would take several more months to ascertain whether the increase was sustainable, particularly heading into the winter months, a traditional time for a downturn in tourism.

Ruapehu's guest nights also showed a big increase of 29 per cent. Taranaki and Manawatu were also showing growth.