Book now for summer camping holidays
Kiwi holidaymakers should book now for their summer camping holidays to make sure they get their preferred holiday spot,
the Holiday Accommodation Parks Association of New Zealand (HAPNZ) says.
“We are getting ready for what will be our busiest ever summer season and a season which will last a lot longer, with
increasing visitor numbers plus major events such as the World Masters Games, and the British and Irish Lions tour,”
HAPNZ Chief Executive Fergus Brown says.
“We are encouraging Kiwi holidaymakers not to miss out – get in and book your summer holiday as soon as possible.”
It has already been a big year for the holiday park sector, with guest nights growing throughout winter. There were an
additional 322,401 guest nights between March and August, an increase of 14% compared to the same time last year.
For the year ended August 2016, holiday parks’ guest nights totalled 7.456 million, growing 8.8%.
“It’s particularly pleasing to see this off season growth, as this lifts the profitability and productivity of the
sector,” Mr Brown says.
“We put the growth in guest nights down to two major factors. The first is the increase in the range of accommodation
and facilities available at holiday parks, which encourages visitors to visit through the cooler months. Many parks have
invested considerably in new motel apartments, cabins, communal facilities and leisure facilities such as swimming
pools.
“The second factor has been the increase in international visitors though the off season. We are seeing the spin-offs
from Tourism New Zealand now focusing their marketing efforts on the shoulder and off seasons.
“The holiday park sector is really contributing to the Tourism 2025 goals of increasing productivity and decreasing
seasonality.”
Many holiday parks have spent the winter months investing in their properties, with repairs and maintenance, development
of new products, and staff training, Mr Brown says.
The latest Holiday Parks Business Confidence Monitor* for September/October 2016 shows confidence remains high at +85,
indicating that 85% of respondents are currently more optimistic than pessimistic.
Confidence for the next 12 months is sitting at +90.
Demand for this month compared to the same period last year increased by 5 points, with 60% of HAPNZ members
participating in the survey saying demand had increased.
Over half the survey respondents expected demand for the coming month to increase, compared to the same month last year.
Only 4% forecast a decrease.
* The Holiday Parks Business Confidence Monitor, developed and managed by Angus & Associates, surveys HAPNZ’s 300 members. Angus & Associates is a premier supplier of marketing, research and strategic planning services. They are focused on delivering
informed insights for a range of private and public sector clients, particularly within the tourism and leisure sectors.
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