Chinese, Australian, U.S. guests fuel winter boom for New Zealand accommodation sector

A surge in tourists from China, Australia and the United States helped drive a record winter boom in New Zealand's accommodation sector in June, figures from the government statistics agency showed Wednesday.

Total national guest nights for June were up 11.9 percent year on year, with domestic guest nights up 10.9 percent and international guest nights up 13.7 percent, according to Statistics New Zealand.

"Domestic and international guest nights in both main islands reached record levels for a June month," business indicators senior manager Neil Kelly said in a statement.

"Although June is in the off-season for most accommodation providers, guest nights this June are the highest recorded for any June month."

Figures from the agency last month showed growing numbers of holidaymakers from China, Australia and the United States had helped drive overseas visitor arrivals to a new June record.

Visitor arrivals numbered 196,200 in June, up 11 percent year on year, due mainly to a 21-percent increase in holiday arrivals.

Visitors from China were up 2,400 year on year to 18,600, making it the second biggest tourist source country after Australia, which accounted for 97,500 visitors.

The same three countries drove a record annual number of visitors in the year ending June.

New Zealand welcomed 3.31 million arrivals in the June year, up 11 percent from the June 2015 year.

Australia was the biggest source country with 1.37 million visitors, up by 79,800, but China, in second place, grew faster with 396,900 visitors, up by 83,600. Endit