British and Irish Lions fan trade creates holiday park jobs

Expectations of a roaring trade during the Lions Tour have contributed to more jobs in holiday parks this winter, according to Holiday Parks New Zealand (HAPNZ).

A recent survey of HAPNZ’s 300 members has revealed there is an average 6.27 staff per park this month, up from 5.89 at the same time last year.

HAPNZ Chief Executive Fergus Brown commented “this increase is clearly due to the business holiday parks expect from the Lions’ fans, at what is normally a quiet time of year in our sector.

“It proves that if we can put the effort into attracting more people to travel in New Zealand during the low season, we can create more jobs and a steadier income across the sector.”

The British and Irish Lions Tour has also got holiday park owners feeling positive about their business.

The latest Holiday Parks Business Confidence Monitor* for May/June 2017 shows confidence at +65, indicating that 65% of respondents are currently more optimistic than pessimistic. This is three points higher than the equivalent period of 2016.

Confidence for the next 12 months is sitting at +78.

Expected demand for the May/June month increased by 8 points to+20 from the level recorded in the April/May survey. 36% of respondents expected demand for the month to increase, 16% expected a decrease and 37% expected no change.

Brown adds “although the impacts of the November earthquakes and resulting road closures are continuing to affect demand for some holiday parks, we’re pleased to see a generally positive outlook across the sector for this time of year.

“We still have plenty of room to welcome more visitors. The annual occupancy rate for holiday parks is under 20%, so there is seldom any problem finding sites for guests in campervans, motorhomes, caravans and tents in a holiday park.”

The Holiday Parks Business Confidence Monitor, developed and managed by Angus & Associates, surveys HAPNZ’s 300 members. Angus & Associates is a premier supplier of marketing, research and strategic planning services. They are focused on delivering informed insights for a range of private and public sector clients, particularly within the tourism and leisure sectors. 

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