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.
July 2025 Insights:
Domestic market fuels Kaikōura’s positive guest night growth
July was a generally positive month for Destination Kaikōura, which saw notable growth in commercial accommodation guest nights. This growth was driven by a rise in both guest arrivals and average stay length. Notably, this increase was
primarily led by the domestic market, which ran counter to the trend of declines seen in most other South Island RTOs. This strong performance was supported by a similar increase in tourism-related employment for the month, which was ahead of the national average.
Kaikōura sees strong domestic guest growth, with stable occupancy
Destination Kaikōura recorded significant growth in guest nights (+10% YoY) for July, whilst the occupancy rate remained unchanged (0%pt. YoY). This result was underpinned by increases in guest arrivals (+8% YoY) and average stay length (+2% YoY). However, a corresponding +13% YoY rise in available stay units offset any gains in occupancy that would have otherwise resulted from the increase in guest nights. In contrast to most other South Island RTO regions, which either experienced a general contraction or a notable rise specifically in international guest nights, Kaikōura’s growth was predominantly domestic, with guest nights from this market increasing by +15% YoY (compared to +1% YoY for international guest nights).
Motels decline, lodges grow amid shifting guest demand in July
An analysis of guest nights by accommodation type (excluding information on holiday parks and campgrounds) showed a decline for large and smaller motels and apartments (-18% YoY and -3% YoY, respectively), whilst lodges and boutique accommodation grew +10% YoY. For lodges and boutique accommodation, international guest nights grew substantially (+67% YoY), whilst domestic guest nights decreased significantly by -14% YoY.
Tourism jobs surpass national average, accommodation leads growth
Tourism-related employment increased by +3% YoY for the Kaikōura District in July, ahead of the national average (+1% YoY). This was driven primarily by growth in the accommodation sector (+20% YoY). While a data gap for July 2024 prevented a direct YoY comparison for travel and tour services, the sector showed an increase of approximately 15 filled jobs since August 2024 (+25%), surpassing a level comparable to July 2023.