While international visitors are down, Kiwis staying in overnight accommodation, including backpackers and holiday parks, has risen to a record 23.2 million guest nights this year, Statistics New Zealand has revealed.
The June 2019 year saw total guest nights hit 40.4 million, up 1.3 per cent from the same time last year. The figures included a record 23.2 million domestic guest nights, up 3.9 per cent from the same time last year.
International domestic guest nights, meanwhile, sat at 17.2 million international guest nights, down 2.1 per cent from June 2018, Stats NZ said.
Annual guest nights first exceeded in September 2018, with the number continuing to grow.
"While Kiwi guest nights continue to grow, international guest nights in commercial accommodation are trending down, as they have been for the past seven months," accommodation statistics manager Melissa McKenzie said.
Annual international guest nights peaked at 17.6 million in the year ending May 2018, which was boosted in June of that year by the Lions Rugby Tour.
International guest nights in the year ending June 2019 are 2.5 per cent lower than the May 2018 peak, they said.
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