The Lions Effect: How the 2017 rugby tour impacted NZ hotel performance
The recent British and Irish Lions rugby tour to New Zealand came to a close this past weekend in Auckland, with the series dramatically ending in a draw. Every four years, the Lions draw a large base of travelling fans throughout the duration of the tour, with the vast majority arriving in time for the first Test against the All Blacks on 24 June in Auckland.
That day, the market’s hotels recorded an actual occupancy level of 93% and an average daily rate (ADR) of NZD391.02, resulting in an actual RevPAR level of NZD363.70, a 194% increase compared with the same day in 2016.
Wellington hosted two matches in one week, the first against the Hurricanes on 27 June followed by the second Test Match against the All Blacks on 1 July. Wellington hotels recorded an average occupancy level of 97.54% and an ADR of NZD383.27 between 27 June and 1 July. This represented a near 200% increase in RevPAR compared with the same period last year.
The series closed in Auckland on Saturday, 8 July with occupancy reaching 94.3% and ADR at NZD409.66, while RevPAR rose 184% to an actual level of NZD386.22.