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BACKPACKERS FLOCK TO QUEENSTOWN

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December, 2009

Backpacker hostels in Queenstown are gearing up for a busy summer with most fully booked a month ago during Christmas and New Year.

"It's cranking - it's pretty sold all the way through summer from December into March," Black Sheep Backpackers owner Matthew Price said.

There were more Kiwis travelling this year also and more demand for the lodge's refurbished rooms with super king mattresses and flatscreen televisions, especially from families and couples probably looking for cheaper holiday options.

Bookings from Britain, the United States, Canada were the biggest by far but there were still good numbers of Irish, Israeli and Australian backpackers coming through.

Backpacker plans had been unaffected by the economic recession, even though it was tailing out, and continued to travel regardless.

"They're not going to put off their gap year....." Mr Price said.

Youth Hostel Queenstown Lakefront assistant manager Aki Hirata agreed:" We've been quite surprised, it's not affecting the backapcker market, people are still travelling and instead of staying in hotels they're deciding to stay in cheaper accommodation and spend more on activities."

Both YHA Queenstown hostels were pretty full during Christmas and New Year and between 80 and 90 percent full at present but expected to be completely full as most people just walked in off the street.

Buoyant Aussie, American and British bookings had been further boosted by a mini "boom" in Indian visitors, as well as more Taiwanese and Koreans during the past few months.

Filming of Bollywood-type films and music clips had created strong interest from the Indian market and some operators even reported they were even now offering Indian cuisine on their trips to cater for them, she said.

Chairman of nzbackpack.com Daniel Shields, who is also YHA New Zealand's marketing and sales manager, said from Christchurch there was definitely growth from the other emerging Asian markets not seen before.

"It's not a huge number but their percentage growth is very strong."

YHA had recently bought the Purple Cow hostel in Wanaka and the former owners reported seeing their first ever "FIT (free independent traveller) Chinese backpackers.

"That emerging new FIT traveller out of Asia is just starting to show their head."

Bookings for the 108-bed Wanaka hostel was so good for peak summer that the association was re-opening its old 43-bed Wanaka hostel to cater for the overflow of forward bookings.

"Our forward bookings for Wanaka and Queenstown are really pleasing.....we hope to be full," Mr Shields said.
English language school graduates also boosted summer backpacker numbers as students finished their course then did a tour of Neew Zealand to practise their English skills.

Southern Laughter Lodge spokesman Neil Houston said it was looking "busy and constant and very positive" for summer.

Bumbles Backpackers owner Mark Simpson said many of his clients would have made their decision to travel three years ago. Although their discretionary spend may have been impacted, the younger market did not know what a recession was as they had never been through one.

Holiday park family and summer reveller bookings were strong as usual with Queenstown Lakeview Holiday Park very busy and fully booked from mid-December throughout January, manager Lovitha Karunakaran said.