Kaikōura cruise visits expected to halve 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.
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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
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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.
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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.
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