New Zealand city hotels book out two years ahead of 2028 total solar eclipse

Hotels in the New Zealand city of Dunedin are already fully booked two years ahead of a total solar eclipse expected to draw thousands of visitors. The celestial event will occur on 22 July 2028 at 4.17pm, when the moon passes directly between the Earth and the sun, casting a roughly 100-kilometer-wide shadow across parts of southern New Zealand. The path of totality will stretch from the tourist hub of Queenstown in the west to Dunedin in the east, plunging the region into daytime darkness for 2 minutes and 51 seconds. Dunedin last experienced a total solar eclipse in 1163, before any humans had reached New Zealand, making this a once-in-many-lifetimes event for the city. The eclipse is expected to bring a significant influx of tourists, with local accommodations already sold out. Authorities and businesses are preparing for the surge, though specific next steps have not been detailed.