Rising overseas visitor numbers failing to fill beds in New Zealand

Overseas visitors are continuing to spend less time in New Zealand despite arriving in greater numbers, according to figures from the government statistics agency Wednesday.

The number of nights international guests spent in commercial accommodation fell by 3.6 percent year on year in October, the fifth consecutive monthly fall, according to Statistics New Zealand.

However, the trend for the total number of domestic and international guest nights remained at a record high level, although the rate of growth could be slowing.

"There is a mixed picture with guest night trend movements," industry and labor statistics manager Clara Eatherley said in a statement.

Domestic guest nights rose 2.6 percent in October, while total guest nights rose for holiday parks and backpacker accommodation, but fell for hotels and motels.

Meanwhile, overseas visitor arrivals to New Zealand numbered 195,000 in October, up 6 percent year on year.

The October figure was the second-highest for an October month, behind October 2011, when 215,900 overseas visitors arrived as New Zealand was hosting the Rugby World Cup.