200 Room Hotel on Cards for Christchurch Airport

Christchurch airport will be improving short-stay accommodation options in Christchurch with plans to build a 200 room hotel.

Christchurch International Airport chief executive Malcolm Johns said the 4.5 star hotel, set to open by the end of 2017, ticks a box for the city, which needed more short-term accommodation near the airport.

Many flights from Asia and Australia arrived in the evening and travellers expect to be able to stay nearby, he said.

The airport is on target to reach 6.3 million passengers for the full year - up from 5.9 million the year before. Tourism numbers are also expected to keep rising next summer, as is the demand for rental cars and other essential services. However, the average time that visitors stayed in Christchurch was just one night, compared to two nights before the earthquakes.

Johns said airlines had asked for up to 400 additional rooms near the airport but the company had decided 200 was enough for now.

Christchurch and Canterbury Tourism chief executive Vic Allen said he was hopeful the hotel would encourage other hotel developers to build downtown in the city. "It should send a message that the airport is very confident of the tourism flows."

Airport spokeswoman Yvonne Densem said the airport had worked hard to ensure Christchurch was capturing its share of the growing tourism industry. About 800,000 airline seats a year had been added by airlines, a growth rate of about 10 per cent. "We expect to see growth continue over the next few years and with it growing opportunity for the Christchurch tourism sector."