Holiday Parks Still Taking Bookings for Summer

Holiday Parks Still Taking Bookings for Summer

New Zealand’s holiday parks are more popular than ever but Kiwi holidaymakers should still be able to find room in all but the most popular destinations.

Holiday parks hosted a record 545,000 guest nights in October, up 77,000 (16.4%) on the same month in 2016.

“This was a bigger increase for October than for hotels, motels or backpackers. Holiday parks have a growing appeal to a wide range of travellers – families, grey nomads and young road trippers,” Holiday Parks New Zealand Chief Executive Fergus Brown says.

HPNZ has 300 member parks around New Zealand.

“The great weather we have been experiencing around the country offers perfect conditions for a New Zealand summer holiday. A few holiday parks are already booked out over the peak Christmas/New Year period but most have plenty of room to welcome more visitors,” Mr Brown says.

“The annual occupancy rate for holiday parks is under 20%, so there is seldom any problem finding sites for guests in campervans, motorhomes, caravans and tents in a holiday park.”

The growth in guest nights is partly due to the increase in the range of accommodation and facilities available at holiday parks, which gives visitors plenty of options. Many parks have invested considerably in new motel apartments, cabins, communal facilities and leisure facilities such as swimming pools, he says.

ENDS

Key facts:

• The holiday park sector provides 36% of New Zealand’s commercial accommodation capacity and 19% of commercial guest nights.

• In the year ended October 2017 holiday parks provided 7,846,568 million guest nights.

• Guest nights to holiday parks are made up of 34% international visitors and 66% domestic visitors.

• While staying at holiday parks guests contribute over $1 billion in direct expenditure to local communities.

• Approximately $612 million (60%) of the expenditure is contributed by domestic travellers, with the balance of $405 million (40%) by international travellers.

• Expenditure by international visitors contributes directly to New Zealand’s export earnings.

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