New Zealand's commercial accommodation providers are failing to see the benefits of a record numbers of overseas travelers, figures from the government statistics agency showed Monday.

Short-term overseas visitor arrivals hit 266,800 in January, a record for a January month and almost 1 percent up from the previous high of 265,600 in January 2011, according to the Accommodation Survey by Statistics New Zealand.

However, international visitors spent 1.6 million guest nights in New Zealand in January, down 7.1 percent from January 2011, and down 8.9 percent from January 2010, according to the survey.

The survey noted that the fall in international guest nights was greater in the South Island (down 11 percent from January 2011) , where visitor numbers had been declining since the earthquakes began striking the Canterbury region in September 2010, than in the North Island (down 2.7 percent).

It also noted that "the biggest change in visitors by travel purpose was in arrivals for people visiting friends and relatives, " which were up by 7,000.

Nine of the country's 12 regions had falls in international guest nights in January, with only Auckland up 9,000 or 3.3 percent, the West Coast up 2,000 or 2.2 percent, and the Taranaki/ Manawatu-Wanganui region up 2,000 or 5.3 percent.

Domestic travelers accounted for 2.6 million guest nights in January, down 2.4 percent from January 2011 and down 4.9 percent from January 2010.

Total guest nights in short-term commercial accommodation fell by 183,000 from January last year to 4.2 million.

"Canterbury had the largest regional decrease, due to the ongoing impact of the Canterbury earthquakes," Statistics New Zealand industry and labor statistics manager Blair Cardno said in a statement.

South Island guest nights fell 5.5 percent from January 2011, the 18th consecutive monthly fall, while North Island guest nights were down 3.3 percent.

Canterbury again recorded the largest regional decrease at 19 percent.

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