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A strong and well-coordinated plan to welcome tourists back was essential, she said.
“This combined with the vaccination roll-out provides us cautious optimism that we are starting to reach a turning point in our response to one of the most significant economic disruptors of our generation.”
Westland District Mayor Bruce Smith was especially pleased with the $49 million allocated to assisting businesses, particularly in Fox Glacier and Franz Josef, that had gone into hibernation.
John Kirk-Anderson/Stuff
Regional forecasts show up to 80 per cent of jobs in Franz Josef are at risk.
“That will be huge for us. The reality is that we’ve got to have attractions if we want people coming to visit us,” Smith said.