Easter bonus for holiday parks

Easter bonus for holiday parks

The Easter/Anzac Day holiday period is bringing an end-of-season windfall to holiday parks, with confidence levels rising to an all-time high.

The Holiday Parks Business Confidence Monitor for March/April 2014 shows confidence levels are at +81, indicating that 81% more respondents are currently optimistic than pessimistic. This is eight index points above this time last year and the highest since the Monitor began in late 2012.

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 confidence among members improved in the lead-up to the Easter/Anzac Day holiday period. Easter traditionally marks the end of the summer peak season so a later Easter helps extend the season, with an additional boost this year from the close proximity of Anzac Day.

“With school holidays over the same period many Kiwi families are taking the opportunity for a break away before winter sets in. We are also continuing to see good numbers of international visitors, especially Germans and Australians,” Mr Brown says.

“This has had a positive spin-off for holiday park owners’ confidence for the next 12 months, which is sitting at +82. Members are expecting demand for the coming month to be particularly positive, so confidence is likely to continue to remain relatively high into April/May 2014.”

41% of survey respondents said demand had increased for March/April compared to the same time last year. 57% of respondents expect demand to increase in the coming month (April/May) compared to the same period in 2013.

Mr Brown says the only downside has been the weather in some areas, which holiday parks say is the main factor that drives decreases in demand.

“The importance of useful and timely insight into tourism industry trends has been highlighted by the Tourism 2025 growth framework. Initiatives like the Holiday Parks Business Confidence Monitor allow the tourism industry to identify trends and issues, and take action where necessary. This helps with business planning and decision making,” Mr Brown says.

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.

Tourism 2025 is a growth framework that aims to unite the large and diverse tourism industry to achieve strong economic growth. Its aspirational goal is $41 billion in annual earnings in 2025. For more information go to www.tourism2025.org.nz

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