Recent figures by Hotels.com show prices are changing

Auckland saw hotel rates falling last year even through the apparent 4% rise in booking through Hotels.com

The average price paid per room in Auckland, the most popular place for visitors, fell 3 per cent to $207 last year, according to Hotels.com.

Queenstown prices averaged $293 - up 3 per cent - while the big movers were Dunedin and Te Anau where prices went up 9 per cent to $181 and $205 respectively.

Hotels.com Asian Pacific spokeswoman Zoe Chan said a reason for the fall in hotel prices in 2018 compared with the year before was the lack of big events in the city.

Special events such as the World Masters Game in April and British and Irish Lions Tour in June and July helped lift occupancy in Auckland and across the board in 2017.

''Meanwhile, a lack of significant events, plus the fact that guests nights plateaued in 2018 - alongside a 95 percent occupancy rate in peak months - may have also contributed to the falling rate.''

There have been more new hotels opening in the city and new hotels in Wellington, such as the DoubleTree by Hilton, had meant occupancy had plateaued in that city.

The data is drawn from bookings made on the hundreds of thousands of accommodation options on the Hotels.com websites worldwide.

More competitive airfares in the regions had helped boost prices outside the traditional tourist towns or entry points, Chan said.

''With international guest nights only continuing to rise, the future looks promising for the local travel accommodation market."

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