Welcome to the Tourism Waitaki Data Dashboard, your gateway to understanding the trends and dynamics of tourism in our region.
Here, we provide real-time data and analytics to help stakeholders, local businesses, and curious visitors gain a deeper understanding of Waitaki’s tourism landscape.
January 2026 Insights
Guest nights surge for both markets, with mixed visitor days
Waitaki achieved massive growth in accommodation and employment in January, effectively defying broader spending contractions. For the domestic market, guest nights jumped +11% YoY , even as visitor days fell -12% YoY and modelled card spend estimates contracted -15% YoY. For the international market, guest nights surged +21% YoY and visitor days grew +17% YoY , while card spend dipped -5% YoY. Employment rocketed +15% YoY, recording the largest growth rate of all South Island RTOs.
Domestic yield remained stable, whilst international yield slipped
The variation between the decline in domestic visitor days (-12% YoY) and the growth in domestic guest nights (+11% YoY) suggested a significantly lower prevalence of day trip visitation. Similarly, the international visitor day growth (+17% YoY) when contrasted with the surge in guest nights (+21% YoY) suggested a lower prevalence of day trip visitation. Regarding visitor yield, the domestic sector showed that visitor days (-12% YoY) and card spend (-15% YoY) performed at stable rates. In the international sector, visitor days grew while spend fell, indicating average spend per visitor had decreased.
International visitor days and unique visitors suggest an increase in time spent within the region
Total visitation in Waitaki contracted in January, with Total Visitor Days falling -6% YoY. This decline was primarily driven by the domestic market, which recorded a -12% YoY drop in visitor days, a result that was middling compared to peer regions such as Dunedin (-4% YoY) and Southland (-10% YoY). In contrast, the international market demonstrated resilience, with International Visitor Days growing +17% YoY. A key positive trend was observed in visitor engagement; the growth in International Visitor Days significantly outpaced the rise in Unique International Visitors (+5% YoY), indicating that international guests spent more time in the region on average compared to January 2025.
Western markets surge as domestic and Asian markets face broad declines
Domestic sourcing trends were characterised by significant contractions from the region's main source markets. Canterbury, the largest domestic market, declined by -17% YoY, while Otago (-15% YoY) and Wellington (-33% YoY) also recorded steep double-digit falls. Auckland proved to be the exception to this trend, recording a comparatively modest decline (-4% YoY), highlighting its resilience as a fly-in market. In the international arena, the dominance of the China, Japan & Korea market (-21% YoY) is being challenged. While it remains the top contributor (27% share), surging growth from the Rest of Europe (+65% YoY) and the United Kingdom has seen these Western markets close the gap, now capturing 23% and 20% of the market share respectively.
Domestic card spend and visitor days pull back as travelers opt for other summer destinations
Domestic modelled card spend estimates in Waitaki contracted in January, recording a -15% YoY decline. This significant pullback represented the second highest contraction across all South Island RTO regions (behind only the Mackenzie Region at -28% YoY) and sat below the stable national average (0% YoY). The region notably missed the anticipated domestic spend spike observed during January 2025, instead recoiling beneath December 2025 figures. This drop occurred in similar ordinate to the region's domestic visitor days based on guest night growth, indicating that the destination could be functioning as a significant 'stop-through' market during the peak season, with domestic visitors increasingly opting to travel elsewhere for their core summer holidays.
International guest nights and visitor days rise despite contracting card spend
The region similarly faced challenges in the overseas market, with international card spend contracting by -5% YoY. This result trailed behind the broader national average (-2% YoY) and fell below the flat performances seen in peer RTO regions such as the Mackenzie Region (0% YoY). The 'stop-through' trend observed in the domestic market was also evident here, as international visitors reported far larger guest night growth alongside an increase in visitor days. However, the spending dynamic suggests a distinct behavioural difference; while domestic travellers may be arriving late and staying as a layover, international visitors appear to be visiting for the day, staying overnight, and then moving on - ultimately limiting their overall spend within the region.
Strong growth in guest nights and occupancy driven by both markets
Overall commercial performance in Waitaki was strong in January, with Total Guest Nights increasing by +14% YoY. This positive trajectory was reflected in the Occupancy Rate, which climbed +6%pt YoY to 67%, a result that outstripped the short-term rental market where occupancy declined by -5%pt YoY (to 69%). Growth was driven by robust results across both visitor markets; International Guest Nights surged +21% YoY, recording the second-highest growth rate in the South Island, while Domestic Guest Nights also performed exceptionally well, rising +11% YoY to sit near the top of the leaderboard for domestic expansion.
Holiday parks dominate growth as domestic visitors drive accommodation overall
Holiday Parks & Campgrounds continued to dominate the sector, holding the largest market share (55% share) and recording the highest growth among all accommodation categories (+27% YoY), fueled by a +30% YoY increase in domestic patronage. In contrast, Lodges & Boutique Accommodation was the only category to report a contraction in total guest nights (-9% YoY). This decline was driven entirely by the domestic market, which shied away from luxury options (-61% YoY), effectively neutralising the strong growth recorded by international visitors (+79% YoY) in the same category.
Tourism employment surges led by accommodation and food services industries
Tourism-related employment in Waitaki grew by an exceptional +15% YoY in January, recording the largest growth rate of all South Island RTOs. This performance significantly outpaced peer RTO regions such as Kaikōura (+7% YoY) and Hurunui (+5% YoY), as well as the wider national trend (0% YoY). The region's outstanding result was driven by broad-based market expansion, with all significant employment-related industries recording positive growth for the month. This uplift was particularly evident in the region's foundational visitor economy services; the largest employment-related industry, Food and Beverage Services, expanded by +11% YoY, while Accommodation experienced a robust surge, growing +21% YoY.
