Great summer for holiday parks

There are no breaks for holiday park owners at this time of year – and that’s just the way they like it.

The Holiday Parks Business Confidence Monitor for November/December showed business confidence was at a high for the year and it looked likely to remain strong.

Confidence levels were at +78, indicating that 78% more respondents were currently optimistic than pessimistic. This was an increase of nine points from the October/November survey.

Business confidence for the next 12 months also increased by seven points on the previous month to +76.

The Holiday Parks Business Confidence Monitor, developed and managed by Angus & Associates*, surveys the Holiday Parks Association New Zealand’s (HAPNZ) 300 members.

HAPNZ Chief Executive Fergus Brown says the Christmas-New Year period is always a busy time for most holiday parks. But improving economic conditions are encouraging more New Zealanders to take their holidays away from home this summer.

“47% of HAPNZ members completing the monitor expected that demand for the coming month would increase compared to the same month last year. Only 9% expected demand to decrease in December/January, with the remainder expecting it would stay the same as last summer,” Mr Brown says.

The appeal of the local region is again thought to have had the biggest influence on increased demand in November/December, followed by the appeal of holiday parks in general.

Mr Brown says most parks around New Zealand have had good numbers of guests through the Christmas-New Year period, with a good mix of international and domestic visitors.

“We wish the weather would settle down but, as we know, Kiwis are serious about their summer holiday and it takes more than a little wind and rain to put them off!”

Parks are expecting to welcome a second wave of families holidaying in the latter half of January, especially around the anniversary day weekends, Mr Brown says.

He is urging those who have not yet booked their summer holiday spot to get in quick.

Check www.holidayparks.co.nz for details of availability or visit HAPNZ’s mobile website http://m.holidayparks.co.nz/

*        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.

Key facts:

• The holiday park sector provides 38% of New Zealand’s commercial accommodation capacity and 20% of actual guest nights

• In the past year holiday parks provided 6,325,431 guest nights

• Guest nights to holiday parks are made up of approximately 32% international visitors and 68% domestic visitors

• While staying at holiday parks guests contribute $733 million in direct expenditure to the local communities

• Approximately $372 million (51%) of the expenditure is contributed by domestic travellers, with the balance of $362 million (49%) by international travellers

HAPNZ_confidence_monitor_NovDec_2013.pdf

ENDS

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