Visitor numbers and spending up at Far North isites

Tourists are returning to the Far North according to isite Visitor Information centres, which have recorded a four-fold increase in patronage since March 2022.

Latest figures from the three council-operated facilities show that visitors to the Bay of Islands isite increased by 77 per cent to nearly 160,000 over 12 months from March 2022, while both the Hokianga and Kaitāia isites saw patronage increase by 40 per cent.

Visitor information centre staff say they have also seen a definite upturn in international visitors this season, mainly from Australia and Europe. The return of cruise ships to the Bay of Islands has also helped to boost visitor numbers. So far this season, 35 ships have visited, with one more due on 1 June.

The news will likely be welcomed by the district’s tourism industry, which is still recovering from the after-effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. This summer was the first to be free of pandemic restrictions, which had raised hopes of a significant rebound in tourism to the Far North. However, that optimism was knocked as Northland experienced the wettest summer season on record and New Zealand was hit by the most destructive cyclone in a generation. The wet weather also led to major slips that closed State Highway 1 – a major tourist route – at Mangamuka Gorge last year and the Brynderwyn hills in February.

Despite those challenges, the Far North’s three isite centres have recorded an up-tick in spending and retail sale figures, a further indication that tourism in the district is recovering. Since March 2022, spending on retail products increased five times, while the total number of transactions increased 4.5 times. Sales figures were also boosted by busy Easter and ANZAC Day long weekends as well as school holidays, which saw a late-summer surge in families and campervans visiting the region.