Geography Reference
In-Depth Information
when a large proportion is being sampled and the sample result is projected, the sampling
error is magnified also, and that a sampling error may run into very large numbers when
expressed as a projection, even though, expressed as a percentage, it may appear to be
quite small (NZTP 1987). The implication of this is that even regional statistics derived
from a national survey may be quite inaccurate (Hall and Kearsley 2001).
In 1999, New Zealanders are estimated to have made 16.6 million trips with at least
one night away, comprising a total of 52.9 million nights; they spent NZ$4.1 billion on
overnight trips. In addition, they made 44.3 million day trips of more than 40 km each
way and spent a further NZ$2.8 billion on them (Forsyte Research 2000). As well as
easily equalling the expenditure of international tourists, albeit in local currency,
domestic travellers provide the essential base for most tourism infrastructure. These
domestic tourism figures were derived from a major 1999 study carried out by Forsyte
Research on contract to the former Public Good Science Fund. The primary focus of the
research was to determine the direct economic impact of domestic tourism in New
Zealand. A secondary objective was to measure domestic travel patterns for both
overnight and day trips for 1999, to a level that allowed regional analysis. This was the
first study of its scale since the last of the domestic travel survey series, noted above,
carried out by AGB McNair in 1989-90 and the first to measure day trips in addition to
overnight trips. Prior to this, the only research was a pilot survey carried out by
D.G.Simmons (1997). The Forsyte sample was substantial, at 17,037 interviews, and
provides high-grade data.
Patterns and spatial economic effects of domestic travel in New
Zealand
In all, almost 70 per cent of domestic travel in New Zealand was to the North Island, or
within it. Canterbury, and then Otago, were the major destinations in the South Island.
Regional flows, in net person nights, show a more interesting picture. The North Island is
a net exporter of some 2.5 million person nights to the South. Within the North Island,
Auckland and Wellington are the main deficit regions, exporting a total of almost 9
million person nights. The major beneficiaries are Northland, Waikato and the Bay of
Plenty. In the South Island, the main beneficiaries are Otago and Nelson, followed by
Marlborough and the West Coast. Canterbury is the only deficit region (Figure 2.14).
About half of all travel (46 per cent) is for holidays and leisure, with an average
duration of 3.8 nights, and one-third (35 per cent and 2.9 nights) for visiting friends and
relatives; a further 12 per cent is business travel, with an average stay of 2.5 nights. Of
course, the economic impacts will not fall in direct proportion to the type of travel.
Accommodation used is, overwhelmingly, the private home of a friend or relative or a
borrowed second home. Motels are the commonest form of commercial accommodation
with a total of 14 per cent; hotels attract only 7 per cent, many of whom would be
business travellers (Forsyte Research 2000; Hall and Kearsley 2001).
Overall patterns of expenditure are split between the two islands broadly
proportionately to visitor numbers, but the average amount spent per night varies
considerably by region, with Wellington and Auckland the highest and Northland,
Gisborne and Marlborough the lowest. As a result, Auckland has the largest total receipts
at over NZ$700 million, followed by Waikato, Wellington and Canterbury. In total, the
