Welcome to the Destination Kaikōura Data Dashboard, providing real-time data & analytics helping stakeholders & local businesses understand the trends and dynamics of tourism in our beautiful region.

 

 

 

 

January 2025 Insights:

Summary

• January was a solid month for tourism in Kaikōura. While growth in international visitor activity lagged behind the national average, moderate growth in domestic guest nights contributed to strong accommodation occupancy rates. Additionally, employment in tourism-related industries grew at a rate well ahead of the national average.
• Domestic visitor card spend remained stable (-1% YoY), while domestic guest nights increased by +6% YoY, indicating either a decrease in average spend per visitor or a rise in overnight stays. Meanwhile, international card spend grew at a faster pace (+6% YoY) than international guest nights (+1% YoY), suggesting a slight increase in average spend or a greater prevalence of day-trip visitation. The significant growth in international card spend on retail fuel (+36% YoY)—the highest among all product categories—supports the latter explanation.

Detail

• Domestic visitor spend by Cantabrians, who contribute half of every domestic card spend dollar in Kaikōura, remained stable compared to Jan '24. Notable growth was recorded in card spend by Wellingtonians (+7% YoY). In line with the increase in domestic guest nights, domestic card spend on accommodation rose significantly (+10% YoY), with Wellingtonians showing particularly strong growth (+47% YoY).
• International visitor card spend on food & beverage serving products saw strong growth (+25% YoY), significantly outpacing the increase in spending on retail food & beverage products (+11% YoY), indicating a growing preference among international visitors for dining out.
• While Australian visitor card spend declined nationally (-3% YoY), it showed slight growth in Kaikōura (+2% YoY), a positive trend in light of the Regional Tourism Boost Fund.
• The Chinese market exhibited strong national growth in card spend (+43% YoY), reaching pre-COVID levels. Kaikōura significantly outperformed this trend, with Chinese visitor card spend surging by +99% YoY and exceeding 2019 levels by +36%. This exceptional growth is partly due to the timing of Chinese New Year, which began on January 29 this year.
• The occupancy rate in commercial accommodation increased by +5%pt YoY, driven by both higher demand (guest nights: +4% YoY) and lower supply (available stay units: -2% YoY). The increase in total guest nights was primarily driven by a +6% YoY rise in domestic guest nights.
• Holiday parks & campgrounds saw particularly strong growth, with guest nights increasing in both markets (domestic: +7% YoY, international: +9% YoY). Combined with a -4% YoY decrease in available stay units, this led to a +7%pt increase in occupancy.
• Overall, employment in tourism-related industries grew by +5% YoY, significantly ahead of the national average (+1% YoY). Strong growth was recorded in tourism-characteristic industries, particularly accommodation and travel & tour services, both increasing by +7% YoY.