Tourism figures from October are indicating a busy summer ahead for the Waitaki district.

While some statistics are down on the same time last year, for the most part October “paints an overall positive picture for Waitaki”, Tourism Waitaki consumer and trade marketing manager Krissy Griggs said.

Visitor numbers and in-region stays increased for both domestic and international visitors compared with last October.

Labour weekend was the busiest weekend across the month, with almost 12,000 visitors, almost double any other weekend.

Krissy said the conversion of visitors into stay nights was very positive, with 26% more guest nights in commercial accommodation compared with 24% more visitors, year on year.

“Ōamaru will also be consistent with the future bookings of bed nights over the festive season and into January and February. The region was 30% up in September and 26% up in October,” she said.

“These are great stats to see with the trend heading in the right direction.”

Although more visitors came and stayed in the region, total visitor spending was down 17% compared with last October - mainly driven by a 23% decrease in domestic visitor spending, which might be attributed to the term 3 school holidays this year falling across September and October, as opposed to last year, when they were solely in October.

Visitor spending by internationals was up 38% on last October, but still remains less than half of what was being spent in the same month, pre-Covid (down 45%).

The number of jobs (up 3% last year to up another 13% this year) and employment earnings (up 15% last October to up 74% this October) grew in all tourism-related sectors year on year, highlighting a healthy growth of the tourism industry in the region, Krissy said.

“Seeing the growth month on month to our tourism sector is benefiting the region as a whole. 

“With the opening of the Alps to Ocean Cycle trail for summer, it looks to be a great season ahead for the Waitaki Valley,” she said.