The net impact of Australian cancellations caused by the travel bubble pause on the ski accommodation sector will be minimal, according to new data.
New figures from Bachcare, New Zealand’s largest holiday home management firm, show last minute domestic bookings have quickly offset gaps left by Australian tourists unable to travel to NZ as a result of disruption to the quarantine-free travel bubble in recent weeks.
According to the data Queenstown and Wanaka have reached 90 per cent capacity and Arrowtown is at 88 per cent – as domestic interest in skiing during the school holidays surges.
Zaina Razzaq, spokesperson for Bachcare, says they have managed to resell almost all bookings cancelled during June.
She says as a result, their sales projections indicate this ski season will be 15 per cent above forecasts.
“We can see from our analysis of bookings this year that the July school holidays are all about skiing and the domestic market has significantly shifted towards ski regions when compared to last year.
“As a result, Wanaka bookings are up 74 per cent compared to the holiday period last year. Queenstown bookings are up 37 per cent and Arrowtown is up 42 per cent. Ohakune bookings are also up 20 per cent,” she says.
Zaina says other regions around the country may be feeling the impact of the surge of interest in skiing.
“With ski accommodation sales performing so well, other regions haven't been quite as popular compared to last year.
“The only exception is Marlborough where bookings are up 63 per cent,” she says.
Zaina says high local demand over the July period may also put pressure on tourism infrastructure including rental car stocks in popular ski areas.
