WELLINGTON, Oct. 11 (Xinhua) -- A fall in domestic guest nights in August in the North Island caused a relatively flat month for New Zealand accommodation, the country's statistics department Stats NZ said on Wednesday.
National guest nights for the month were 0.3 percent lower than August 2016, Stats NZ said.
"Increases in domestic guest nights in the South Island, and modest increases in international guest nights in both islands, weren't enough to offset the North Island's decrease in domestic guest nights this August," accommodation statistics manager Melissa McKenzie said in a statement.
Guest nights spent in the North Island dropped 3.6 percent from August last year, driven by a 5.8-percent fall in domestic guest nights, McKenzie said, adding that in contrast, guest nights in the South Island were 4.8 percent higher than August 2016, driven by a rise in domestic guest nights.
Guest nights fell the most in Auckland, Wellington, and the Waikato in the North Island, Stats NZ said.
