International surge leads strong tourism growth amid domestic stability
Visitor Data Update as at July 2025
July was a month of strong tourism performance for Destination Hauraki Coromandel. Domestic card spend was stable, outperforming most neighbouring regions. In stark contrast, international card spend surged, recording the highest growth among all North Island RTOs. This growth was distributed across all product categories, with international accommodation spend more than doubling.
Despite a slight decline in total guest nights and occupancy, commercial accommodation showed resilience, with international guest nights growing strongly and outperforming Waikato and Auckland. Tourism-related employment for the month was stable.
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Summary report:
Spending patterns
International visitor spend surged +48% YoY, outpacing the +20% YoY rise in guest nights, pointing to bigger budgets or more day-trippers and representing the highest growth for any RTO region in the North Island.
Domestic spend held steady (0% YoY), but patterns shifted - less on retail food (-6%) and more on dining out (+2%).
Market shifts
The US led international spend (+62% YoY, 34% share), followed by strong growth from the UK (+71%), Europe (+56%), and Australia (+39%).
Waikato continued to challenge Auckland as the top domestic market, reflecting proximity and school holiday timing.
Accommodation & visitor behaviour
Guest arrivals rose (+6%), but shorter stays (-8% length of stay) meant overall guest nights fell (-3%).
Holiday parks dominated guest nights (51%), with strong international growth, especially in motels/apartments.
Local contrasts
Hauraki held steady (0% domestic nights, +4% overall), while Thames-Coromandel declined (-3% overall, -9% domestic).
International nights grew strongly across both areas (20%+).
Tourism employment
Jobs overall were stable (0% YoY), but accommodation employment surged (+17% YoY), offsetting declines in food & beverage roles (-5%).
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