Kaikōura cruise visits expected to halve this summer
Photo:
LDR / David Hill / North Canterbury News
Economic uncertainty and rising costs have been cited as reasons for fewer cruise ships planning to visit Kaikōura this summer.
Just five cruise ships are scheduled to visit Kaikōura during December, January and February, down from 11 last summer and 16 in summer 2023/24.
"There's lots of reasons. Global uncertainty, Government changes and it has led to less cruise ships planning to come this season," Destination Kaikōura manager Lisa Bond said.
"But everything has a cycle. This year we are down to five, but in two years we might be back to 13."
She said cruise ship companies planned their schedules 18 months or two years ahead, so the global uncertainty was big a factor.
But she noted cruise ship schedules are subject to change, depending on weather and other factors.
Destination Kaikōura deputy chairperson Lynette Buurman said the ability to attract cruise ships has not been helped by Environment Canterbury increasing its berthage fees.
As Kaikōura has small wharves, cruise ships anchor off the coast and bring tourists into the wharf by tender boats.
An Environment Canterbury spokesperson said berthage fees depend on the size of the ship, ranging from $7666 for ships less than 100 metres to $16,866 for ships 200 metres or more. Cancellation fees also apply.
Kaikōura's pristine coastline.
Photo:
LDR / David Hill / North Canterbury News
It covers the costs of chart updates, operation and maintenance of navigation aids, and operation and maintenance of safety management systems.
The berthage fees have not changed in the last 12 months, the spokesperson said.
Other tourist hot spots are also experiencing sharp declines in cruise ship bookings.
Bay of Islands' cruise ship bookings for the 2025/26 season have almost halved from their peak two years ago, from 92 to 47.
A cruise ship representative told Local Democracy that cost increases had contributed to the drop.
Bond said Kaikōura enjoyed a busy summer and autumn, while King's Birthday weekend, Matariki weekend and the July school holidays brought strong numbers of visitors to the town.
April was a particularly strong month, with the spend from domestic visitors up 15 percent compared to last year, while accommodation bookings were up 7 percent.
Strong domestic support continued in May, with the spend up 13 percent and guest nights up 14 percent compared to May 2024.
Bond said the bulk of domestic visitors come from Canterbury, with visitor numbers from Auckland and Wellington also up.
There has also been growth in international visitors, according to visitor data.
International visitor spend, excluding accommodation (which is now pre-paid), is up 13 percent, which suggests either a higher average spend or an increase in day visits.
A busy few months are expected, with the Kaikōura Whale Run and the Kaikōura Hop in September, followed by the school holidays, the Mountains to Sea Marathon and Labour Weekend in October, and the Kaikōura Trotting Cup in November, before summer gets into full swing.
Destination Kaikōura is a partnership between the Kaikōura District Council and local tourism operators.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
1News
2 hours ago
- 1News
Kaikōura cruise visits expected to halve this summer
Economic uncertainty and rising costs have been cited as reasons for fewer cruise ships planning to visit Kaikōura this summer. Just five cruise ships were scheduled to visit Kaikōura during December, January and February, down from 11 last summer and 16 in summer 2023/24. "There's lots of reasons. Global uncertainty, government changes and it has led to less cruise ships planning to come this season," Destination Kaikōura manager Lisa Bond said. "But everything has a cycle. This year we are down to five but, in two years, we might be back to 13." She said cruise ship companies planned their schedules 18 months or two years ahead, so global uncertainty was big a factor. ADVERTISEMENT But she noted cruise ship schedules were subject to change, depending on weather and other factors. Destination Kaikōura deputy chairperson Lynette Buurman said the ability to attract cruise ships has not been helped by Environment Canterbury increasing its berthage fees. As Kaikōura has small wharves, cruise ships anchored off the coast and brought tourists into the wharf by tender boats. An Environment Canterbury spokesperson said berthage fees depended on the size of the ship, ranging from $7666 for ships less than 100m to $16,866 for ships 200m or more. Cancellation fees also applied. It covered the costs of chart updates, operation and maintenance of navigation aids, and operation and maintenance of safety management systems. The berthage fees hadn't changed in the last 12 months, the spokesperson said. More centres feeling the pinch ADVERTISEMENT Other tourist hot spots were also experiencing sharp declines in cruise ship bookings. Bay of Islands' cruise ship bookings for the 2025/26 season had almost halved from their peak two years ago, from 92 to 47. Kaikōura's coastline. (Source: Local Democracy Reporting) A cruise ship representative told Local Democracy that cost increases had contributed to the drop. Bond said Kaikōura enjoyed a busy summer and autumn, while King's Birthday weekend, Matariki weekend and the July school holidays brought strong numbers of visitors to the town. April was a particularly strong month, with the spend from domestic visitors up 15% compared to last year, while accommodation bookings were up 7%. Strong domestic support continued in May, with the spend up 13% and guest nights up 14% compared to May 2024. ADVERTISEMENT Bond said the bulk of domestic visitors came from Canterbury, with visitor numbers from Auckland and Wellington also up. There had also been growth in international visitors, according to visitor data. International visitor spend, excluding accommodation (which was now pre-paid), was up 13%, which suggested either a higher average spend or an increase in day visits. A busy few months were expected, with the Kaikōura Whale Run and the Kaikōura Hop in September, followed by the school holidays, the Mountains to Sea Marathon and Labour Weekend in October, and the Kaikōura Trotting Cup in November, before summer got into full swing. Destination Kaikōura was a partnership between the Kaikōura District Council and local tourism operators. LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.
RNZ News
3 hours ago
- RNZ News
Kiwi workers wanted: 'The north of Australia is a really good option'
Northern Territory industry leaders were hunting for Kiwi workers at an Auckland job expo over the weekend. File photo. Photo: AFP Australian companies say they are not trying to poach NZ's workforce, but anybody who does fancy upping sticks for 'Straya's Northern Territory is being fair dinkum promised a chunk a' change that would make your Kiwi colleagues mad as a cut snake. Northern Territory industry leaders were at an Auckland job expo over the weekend to extoll the virtues of the vast region of Australia. There were stalls looking to recruit police and corrections officers, hospitality workers, health professionals, tourism operators and construction and infrastructure workers. A number of Kiwis visiting the expo told Checkpoint the better pay and better work opportunities were tempting. But what will it mean for New Zealand's already declining workforce if they take up the offer? For Kiwis across the motu, it can be a dispiriting daily grind: apply for jobs, often receive no reply and when they do land an interview, queues of people are lining up for the same job. It can take hundreds of applications, and often many months, before something finally comes through. The unemployment rate in New Zealand is at a four-year high at 5.1 percent, so it is very competitive out there. But in Australia's Northern Territory, they are desperate for people to join their workforce and they have got Kiwis in their sights. On Saturday morning at Auckland's Manukau Due Drop events centre, the expo was bustling with hundreds of students, job hunters and people just looking for a change. They told Checkpoint finding a job in Aotearoa has become increasingly difficult. "I'm looking for other work at the moment and there's literally nothing out there, thousands of people applying for jobs that I wouldn't usually apply for. "A lot of people have applied for jobs you see 150 people have applied, 200 people and you'll still be waiting for an answer." The Northern Territory's allure lies in its higher salaries, more job opportunities and the possibility of buying a home there. "I'm renting a two-bedroom house here for $550 at the same time when I see my sister she's in Alice Springs she's renting a two-bedroom house for $350. "I feel really bad going into a job that pays so little, and I've studied so hard, where there's like a $20,000 difference if I start here or if I start there." Damien Charles from the Northern Territory Information and Communication Technology and Digital Services industry said there was a wider range of opportunities in the sector. A $30-40,000 pay bump also did not hurt. "Having listened to a number of people come through they're quite downcast about ICT and digital sector here in New Zealand, it's quite hard to get into the market even for people with existing skills and experience." Andrew Craven from the Northern Territory Police said they were looking for new recruits to join the police and experienced police who might want a change in scenery. First-year constables earn a salary of $111,000 compared to $83,000 here. After five years in the force that increases to $121,000 in Northern Territory, compared with $91,000 here. There is also a housing allowance of up to $34,000 for officers jumping the ditch. Craven said there were many similarities between the Northern Territory and New Zealand police forces. "We speak to the New Zealand Police a lot because we interview experienced police, particularly in the Northern Island, I think they have very similar problems." Dr Tanzil Rahman - Member of the Parliament of the Northern Territory for Fong Lim in Darwin's east - made the trip to New Zealand to help snag some Kiwi workers. He said the Northen Territory offered a different lifestyle, better pay, a higher quality housing market and a warmer climate. "We know that New Zealanders are keen on Australia and do move to Australia and if you're looking for meaningful work opportunities that are well remunerated than again the north of Australia is a really good option." But for some Kiwis, the grass was not greener. "Australia's way too hot and there's too much drama there," said one. "People don't realise that in New Zealand we look after our retirees a lot better than they do in Australia." "I was offered about 1.7 times about what I would earn here in New Zealand. But what I love here about people in New Zealand is the people and the culture. We moved here when I was young from South Africa, so I call New Zealand my home and I'll stay," said another "We've got the most beautiful scenery in the world, great people and a wonderful future I'd stay here," said a third. The Northern Territory job expos were held in Christchurch and Auckland over the past two weekends hosting jobs and information sessions for Kiwis keen to get a glimpse on life and work. Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
RNZ News
4 hours ago
- RNZ News
Material change for the construction industry
With insolvency and job losses for construction businesses soaring , the government has announced it will make it easier for firms to purchase and use international materials for builds here in New Zealand. Professor John Tookey from AUT joins Emile Donovan to look at whether this move will bring down the high cost of construction. Photo: 123RF
