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Fox Glacier Top 10 Holiday Park owner Steve Edwards says the West Coast glacier towns have had a tough five years.
The Government has been accused of passing the buck to Development West Coast (DWC) and not helping struggling tourism businesses in South Westland. Tourism Minister Stuart Nash met with business owners in Franz Josef Glacier on Tuesday to tell them the Government could not save every business, but was working on a support package to help them until the borders reopened. Nash said he had hoped Development West Coast (DWC) could release 10 per cent of its almost $128 million fund to help businesses get through the Covid-19 pandemic, but the trustees agreed to release only $5m.
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The Kawatiri Coastal Trail will be a 55km walking and cycling track between Westport and Charleston on the West Coast.
House prices in parts of the West Coast are through the roof and some cycle trail businesses have reported double the customers since the Covid-19 pandemic began, despite tough times in the glacier country. West Coast Scenic Waterways owner Cindy Hopper said her accommodation and boat cruise business near Hokitika had experienced “huge growth” in the past year. Domestic tourists made up about 85 per cent of her customers before the pandemic hit.
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Cindy and Gavin Hopper moved from Auckland to the West Coast to set up West Coast Scenic Waterways, offering paddle boat cruises and kayaking on Lake Mahinapua.