Mondayisation great for holiday parks
Holiday parks will benefit from a new law to Mondayise Waitangi Day and Anzac Day when they fall on a weekend, their
association says.
Holiday Parks Association (HAPNZ) Chief Executive Fergus Brown says his members are looking forward to the Holidays
(Full Recognition of Waitangi Day and ANZAC Day) Amendment Bill being passed at its final reading in Parliament
tomorrow.
“Although it affects only a small number of dates, when it does occur these days are very important to small businesses
that rely on domestic visitors taking long weekend breaks,” Mr Brown says.
Many holiday parks report substantial boosts in patronage over long weekends. For example, in 2012, when Waitangi Day
fell on a Monday, Hot Water Beach TOP 10 Holiday Park in the Coromandel recorded six times more visitors over the
weekend than it did for the corresponding time in 2011 when Waitangi Day fell on a Sunday.
More visitors also boost local economies. Recent research shows that a New Zealand family or group of friends staying at
a holiday park will spend an average of $307.34 each day. Most of that money (74%) is spent outside Holiday Parks in
areas such as hospitality (cafes, restaurants, bars), activities and attractions, transport (rental vehicles, fuel,
buses, taxis), retail goods and services, and entertainment.
“HAPNZ would like to congratulate and thank the Tourism Industry Association (TIA) for all its efforts to promote this
new legislation. It’s an excellent example of TIA working for the whole of the tourism industry, including the important
holiday park sector,” Mr Brown says.
ends