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.
March 2025 Insights:
Spending dips, but jobs increase in Kaikōura.
March ’25 was a mixed month for tourism in Kaikōura. While both domestic and international card spend saw moderate declines, occupancy rates in the accommodation sector showed resilience, performing better than the national average. Additionally, tourism-related employment grew considerably, placing Kaikōura ahead of national trends.
International spending down, nights up: domestic both in decline
International card spend declined by -5% YoY, yet international guest nights in commercial accommodation increased by +4% YoY. This divergence suggests either a reduction in average spend per visitor or a shift from day trips to a higher frequency of overnight stays. Meanwhile, domestic card spend dropped by -7% YoY, closely mirrored by a -9% YoY decline in domestic guest nights.
Kaikōura sees rising culinary draw
The most significant drop in international card spend by product category was observed in accommodation (-38% YoY), likely reflecting an increase in pre-paid bookings given the growth in guest nights. On the other hand, retail 'Other' product spend grew by +17% YoY, and F&B serving spend rose by +9% YoY, reinforcing Kaikōura’s appeal as a culinary destination. For domestic visitors, the steepest spending declines were in recreation (-21% YoY) and F&B serving (-10% YoY), the latter underscoring the importance of international tourism to Kaikōura’s hospitality sector.
Spend dips from Canterbury and Marlborough, partially offset by Aucklanders
The overall domestic card spend decline was primarily driven by a -5% YoY reduction in spend from Canterbury, compounded by a significant -19% YoY drop from Marlborough visitors. However, moderate growth from the Auckland market (+5% YoY) helped offset these declines.
US tourism dips, rest of Asia market sees slower growth
On the international front, growth from the US market slowed to a slight decline (-3% YoY), and while the Rest of Asia market (excluding China, Japan, and Korea) continued to grow, its pace also slowed to +6% YoY.
Occupancy remains stable despite fewer guests
Occupancy rates in commercial accommodation remained stable, despite a slight -4% YoY decrease in guest nights. This was due to a comparable -5% YoY decline in the average number of guests per stay unit.
Fewer domestic arrivals but longer stays and rising internationals
Campgrounds and holiday parks experienced a moderate -6% YoY drop in guest arrivals, partially offset by a +3% YoY increase in average length of stay. This led to a minor -3% YoY reduction in guest nights. The increase in stay duration likely reflects a shift in visitor composition: domestic guest nights in these accommodation types declined by -13% YoY, while international guest nights rose significantly by +22% YoY.
Kaikōura job growth fueled by travel and tour demand
Tourism-related employment in Kaikōura grew by +3% YoY in March, outperforming the national average of +1% YoY. This growth was primarily driven by a substantial +29% YoY increase in travel and tour services employment.