Recent accommodation statistics show a continued upturn in visitor ‘guest nights’ spent in the Whakatāne District. The January 2015 Commercial Accommodation Monitor figures show that while there was a decrease throughout the Bay of Plenty as a whole, guest nights in Whakatāne rose by 2.4%, compared to the same period in 2014.

Whakatāne District Council Business Services Manager, Roslyn Mortimer, says the figures reflect a very positive trend over the past two years. “We have seen an increase of around 40,000 guest nights over the past two years, which is very encouraging,” she says. “The most recent figures show that we have had strong domestic and international visitor numbers, and I believe this is because we are an affordable, not overly commercial destination – and of course, we have great beaches and plenty of sunshine. The District is a good honest Kiwi destination that offers a slice of old New Zealand and that appeals to a lot of people who want to avoid the more hectic and gimmicky larger destinations.”

William Stewart of NATIVConnectioNZ says the Whakatāne-based boutique cultural tourism operator has had its “busiest season yet”, with increased bookings from both group and FIT (Free and Independent Traveller) channels.

“We’ve targeted group business through the international travel trade, and that’s where most of our custom has come from this season, but we have had more FITs through too.”

Mr Stewart says Whakatāne’s profile seems to be growing steadily as both consumers and the travel trade learn more about the “uniqueness” of the destination.

“The agents we work with have booked with us again for next season, which is a strong indication that they – and, more importantly, their clients – appreciate the Whakatāne visitor proposition and the unique set of experiences we have on offer here.”