For the sixth consecutive month, international guests spent fewer nights in hotels, motels, backpackers, and holiday parks compared with the same month a year ago, Stats NZ says.
"In May 2019, international guest nights were down 7.4 per cent, falling for the sixth month in a row," accommodation statistics manager Melissa McKenzie says.
"This may indicate that international guests are choosing hosted or other accommodation not captured in the accommodation survey.
"May is typically one of the quieter months for commercial accommodation, with little more than half the guest nights seen in summer months," says Melissa.
"Kiwis staying in holiday parks and hotels in May helped keep total guest nights up, despite the drop in international guests."
In May 2019, total guest nights rose 0.9 per cent as Kiwis spent 6.6 per cent more nights in commercial accommodation than the same month last year. This increase offset the fall in overseas guest nights.
In the year ended May 2019, total guest nights rose 1.1 per cent to 40,378,000 from the May 2018 year. This is the lowest annual guest night growth for almost six years, apart from a 0.6 per cent rise in the year ended March 2019.
The accommodation survey collects data for guests staying in short-term commercial accommodation such as hotels, motels, backpackers, and holiday parks. Hosted and private accommodation, such as bed and breakfasts and holiday homes, are excluded.
